The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) says the victims of an alleged assault by Deputy President Paul Mashatile's protectors are military trainees, but the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has challenged them to prove they are.
On Monday afternoon a video clip showing more than six members of the VIP protection unit allegedly assaulting three seemingly helpless men travelling in a VW Polo on the highway was circulated on social media.
One of the assaulted men appeared to be left unconscious.
Police have identified the officers and traced the victims featured in the clip. Mashatile confirmed the officers were attached to his detail but said he was not at the scene when the assault took place.
Ipid spokesperson Robbie Raburabu told the Sowetan the men who were assaulted are military trainees, “who are yet to open a case with police”.
“They [also] still need to open a case with the military, that is the procedure they [apparently] need to follow. We don’t know the reasons why,” Raburabu said.
VIP protection assault victims are military trainees, says Ipid, but SANDF declines to confirm this
Image: Elvis Ntombela
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) says the victims of an alleged assault by Deputy President Paul Mashatile's protectors are military trainees, but the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has challenged them to prove they are.
On Monday afternoon a video clip showing more than six members of the VIP protection unit allegedly assaulting three seemingly helpless men travelling in a VW Polo on the highway was circulated on social media.
One of the assaulted men appeared to be left unconscious.
Police have identified the officers and traced the victims featured in the clip. Mashatile confirmed the officers were attached to his detail but said he was not at the scene when the assault took place.
Ipid spokesperson Robbie Raburabu told the Sowetan the men who were assaulted are military trainees, “who are yet to open a case with police”.
“They [also] still need to open a case with the military, that is the procedure they [apparently] need to follow. We don’t know the reasons why,” Raburabu said.
Ipid confirms probe into ‘assault of civilians’ by VIP protection police
In an interview with eNCA, he said: “They still need to get permission from their employers to actually open up cases, so our investigators are still trying to convince them to open up a case.
“We don't have the details as yet as to what transpired or what led to this incident.”
TimesLIVE reached out to the SANDF to confirm if the victims were attached to the military in any way but drew a blank as spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini refused to confirm this and redirected questions to the victims.
“I suggest you reach out to the victims about this ... if they say they are military trainees, they must say where they trained,” Dlamini said.
Pressed further, Dlamini said he could not confirm the victims were members of the SANDF as this would be tantamount to commenting. He insisted only the victims could give these details as the incident happened “beyond our jurisdiction”.
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