IOL News reports that the Randburg Magistrate's Court is expected to deliver its ruling on Thursday on a Section 174 application put forward by the defense for eight VIP officers, accused of assaulting three men at the side of a highway two years ago.
The men put forward the application in a bid to have the matter dismissed on the grounds of insufficient evidence. The members of the SA Police Service VIP Protection Unit were recorded in a video assaulting occupants of another vehicle in Joburg and footage of the assault went viral. The officials, who later turned out to belong to Deputy President Paul Mashatile's security detail, were seen dragging a man out of his vehicle and assaulting him at the side of the busy highway. At the time, the driver and his two passengers were attached to the SA National Defence Force and were seen being kicked in the head by the heavily armed officers.
Action Society spokesperson, Juanita du Preez, commented: "The attempt to discharge the case under Section 174 is nothing more than a last-ditch effort to escape accountability. The eight accused should be treated as the criminals they are. They disregarded the law, misused their authority, and brutalised civilians instead of protecting them."
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Se-Anne Rall at IOL News
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