Daily Maverick reports that on Thursday, the Randburg Magistrate’s Court dismissed a Section 174 discharge application brought by eight former bodyguards of Deputy President Paul Mashatile, thereby keeping the high-profile assault case on track for trial.

The accused had hoped to walk away from charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and malicious damage to property, but Magistrate Abdul Khan ruled that there was enough evidence to proceed. A video of the incident, which was widely shared on social media, showed the eight VIP Protection Unit members allegedly assaulting two off-duty soldiers on the N1 Highway in Joburg in July 2023. Magistrate Khan cleared all eight accused of defeating the ends of justice charges, but said the court was satisfied that all the accused had acted in common purpose in the assault.

Two of the accused will continue to face charges of negligent driving. Four of the accused will continue to face charges concerning violation of the Firearms Controls Act for allegedly pointing a firearm. The trial date has been set for 23 to 27 March 2026. In May, the eight accused were exonerated in an internal SA Police Service disciplinary hearing because the video evidence against them could not be verified and was ruled to be inadmissible.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bheki C. Simelane at Daily Maverick
• Read too, Mashatile’s former bodyguards not off the hook yet, at SowetanLive
• En ook, Ernstigste klagte teen ‘blouligmafia’ gaan voort, by Maroela Media

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