VIP protection unit officers in court with faces masked

The efforts of eight VIP protection officers linked to an assault incident on the N1 to block the media from court proceedings and have their faces covered, failed when a Randburg magistrate upheld press freedom rights in the public interest.

The officers appeared briefly in the Randburg magistrate’s court on Monday morning. They were arrested and processed at the Sandton police station on Sunday.

The matter kicked off with a media application from various media houses to record proceedings, to which the state raised no objection.

The state indicated it was ready to proceed with the bail application and revealed the raft of charges against the eight:

• Four counts of pointing a firearm;
• Two counts of malicious damage to property;
• One count of reckless and negligent driving;
• Three counts of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm;
• One count of an attempt to defeat the administration of justice; and
• Assault by way of threats.

The defence objected to the media’s application, citing security concern as the men are attached to the protection service of Deputy President Paul Mashatile.

“They may reveal things of national interest,” one of the legal representatives for the accused said, showing the men’s faces may result in them being recognised.

Magistrate Hlengiwe Mkhabisi said while she understood the concern raised by the defence, it was in the public interest to allow media coverage of the case. Communities could then be “educated on court processes”.

Mkhabisi ruled the officers could keep their face masks on during proceedings and barred the media from filming her.

An investigation was opened after a video depicting a vicious attack went viral on social media. It showed officers assaulting three unarmed men who were in a VW Polo, en route from Johannesburg to Pretoria.

One of the victims, 25-year-old infantryman L’vaughn Fisher, has acquired legal representation and intends to sue the police for R1m. The two other men are military trainees.

The SA National Defence Union said the victims told how a black SUV appeared next to their vehicle, with one of the occupants allegedly pointing a firearm at the victims’ vehicle.

The vehicle was boxed in by more SUVs and forced, in formation, to the left side of the N1 highway. They alleged the occupants of the SUVs exited their vehicles, surrounded the victims’ vehicle and tried to smash the windscreen. When this was not successful, the assailants smashed the back window and assaulted the occupants.

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