The motorist who filmed an incident on the N1 last week involving a civilian vehicle and armed VIP escort police has received death threats after posting the video to social media.
The video, which has since gone viral and been reposted by dozens of users, shows eight armed men exiting from two black BMW SUVs on the side of the N1 highway near Fourways in Gauteng, and dragging three occupants out of a blue VW Polo.
The men then proceeded to assault the three victims and search their car before getting back in their SUVs and driving away.
Death threats
The two BMWs and their occupants were quickly identified to be a part of the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) VIP escort service, which is often colloquially referred to as the “Blue Light Brigade.”
The violent altercation resulted in an uproar from citizens, politicians, legal and academic authorities, and the SAPS alike, which quickly led to the launch of a private investigation by the Independent Police Investigation Directorate (IPID) to find the persons responsible.
Since then, the original poster of the video, who documented the event with a smartphone from the dashboard of their car as they pulled up behind the convoy, has allegedly received death threats as a result of their actions.
National Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed to TimesLive that SAPS had been made aware of the alleged death threats and that it had told the social media user to open a formal case on the matter.
“The matter has been brought to our attention. We are looking into the death threats and tracing those behind the messages sent to this individual,” she said.
I will do everything in my power to ensure that these Blue Light Bullies are brought to book. I have already engaged the Executive Director of IPID and will be demanding that Minister Cele ensure SAPS arrest these thugs within 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/n1PaOAXcin
— Andrew Whitfield, MP (@andrewhitfield) July 3, 2023
Investigation
Shortly after the assault occurred, Deputy President Paul Mashatile announced that the men in the video had been assigned to him, but said he was not present at the incident.
The eight suspects involved in the assault case have since been suspended, but have not been officially identified, as they have not yet been officially charged with a crime.
The N1 incident is the latest in a growing list of cases where VIP escort services, typically reserved for high-ranking politicians, have engaged with civilian road users in a hostile manner.
“In early 2022, we noted our deep concerns about the so-called Blue Light Brigades and the threat they pose to road users. They are aggressive towards other drivers, often pushing them off the road to ensure their convoy has easy passage – many times through heavy traffic,” said Willem Groenwald, the CEO of the Automobile Association.
The fact that the VIP in question, Deputy President Mashatile, was not present when the convoy was threatening road users, has also raised questions as to the legality and conduct of Blue Light Brigades.
“If you are not protecting the deputy president and there is not an urgent need, it is difficult to fathom what could have happened to act that way,” said Stefanie Fick, the executive director of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA).
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