Parliament has cordoned off the newly erected bust of Nelson Mandela with a red rope and a reflective elastic band to try to prevent more people from driving into it.
Less than 48 hours after its unveiling, a police panel van reversed into it sometime between 6.30am and 7am on Wednesday, just before sunrise .
Many people working in the parliamentary precinct in Cape Town have long been concerned about what is seen as reckless driving by security services.
The chip on the shoulder (actually, it was a dent) with which Madiba's bust in front of the National Assembly was left had been repaired by Friday morning.
President Jacob Zuma had unveiled the bust on Monday amid much fanfare, but as parliamentary staff arrived for work soon after 7am on Wednesday, the cobblestones around the bust were strewn with glass, which workers were cleaning up.
"Haai, shame, and he hasn't even had his first bit of polish yet," said one of the cleaners, patting the bust.
To the right of the National Assembly entrance a damaged police vehicle was parked.
The cop van, an Opel Vivaro Cdti with registration number BSM 205 B, which is used by the police's Western Cape support services division, had clearly come off second best.
The back window and a right rear window were shattered and the vehicle was badly dented and scratched. The right rear indicator was broken.
The police are awaiting a preliminary report before deciding possible disciplinary action, said South African Police Service spokesman Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale.
"The incident took place in the dark.
"At this stage it seems possible that it was all an honest, non-intentional mistake," said Makgale.
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