IOL reports that questions around Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s involvement in the blue light assault of three people on the N1 highway on 2 July have arisen again.

One of the eight SA Police Service (SAPS) VIP presidential protection officers told the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Monday that Mashatile had been present in the convoy when the incident happened. The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it would submit a formal Promotion of Access to Information Application (PAIA) to get answers around the incident, while the ActionSA said it would be writing to police commissioner General Fannie Masemola to investigate Mashatile for allegedly lying, after his office said he was not present when the incident happened. The DA’s Andrew Whitfield said they had always suspected that Mashatile was involved because of the behaviour of the VIP officers. “If he was in the convoy and he sat by and did nothing, he sets an example at one of the highest level of government which is completely unacceptable. He holds the second highest office in the land and may become president one day, but he allows police officers to break the law under his watch, it is completely unacceptable,” said Whitfield. ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba said the party believed the officers had been influenced by Mashatile’s “mafia style leadership” and asked why, if he had nothing to hide, Mashatile had lied and said he was not present. It is not clear whether Mashatile was a witness to the alleged assault, or whether he was driven off in another vehicle in the convoy. Currently, the eight officers are facing criminal prosecution after the police watchdog Ipid ordered their arrests. Internally, they have been suspended by the SAPS, pending an internal disciplinary process. The court case resumes on Wednesday.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sihle Mlambo at IOL

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