Eight members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection unit, implicated in an assault incident on the N1 in July 2023, appeared in court. Photo by Zandile Khumalo
THE defense lawyer in the case against eight members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection unit, implicated in an assault incident on the N1 in July 2023, has blasted the witness for being a ‘danger’ to the convoy.
According to advocate Mswazi Makhubele, the witness, upon ignoring the signals by the accused, saw him drive in between the convoy, leaving the main car unprotected.
It was then that a decision was made to push the witness’s car away from the convoy because they held a view that he posed a danger to the main car or convoy.
This was revealed by Makhubele in court on Tuesday, May 8, as the case entered its third day of trial.
Tensions were high in the Randburg Magistrates Court as the defense grilled the witness for almost six hours.
The defense argued that the witness who took the stand had been repeatedly warned to drive away from the convoy but failed to comply. His ignorance of the warning saw the witness disrupting the convoy.
The convoy traveled on the N1, using the two fast lanes on the far right.
Makhubele said there were points wherein the accused warned the witness to slow down as he was driving fast, to which he gave a thumbs up and agreed, giving the impression that he understood.
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This impression made the accused seven believe that the witness agreed with them. However, this was not the case.
Makhubele argued, through the accused’s version, that the witness had constantly interchanged between the third and second lane to the far right.
He said he then stuck to the third lane, where he was then driving parallel to accused number two, who at that point thought the witness might want to cut him and the truck ahead of him.
“When accused two realized that he could not shield the main car, he was forced to move to the fast lane, joining the other four cars. You then moved from the third lane to the second lane behind the truck, driving next to the main char.
“Accused two and the main car tried to flashlights at you, hoping you would see him with the rear mirror. This was when the decision to stop and to push your vehicle out of the road was taken because they were of the view that you posed a danger to the main car,” Makhubele explained.
But it was this statement the witness argued, asking why the VIP unit did not follow the correct procedure when they thought he was a danger.
He broke down in tears, causing the defense to step back and ask for an adjournment.
Magistrate Abdul Khan upon observing the witness who was not in the right state to continue, headed to the plea for the postponement.
The matter returns to court on Tuesday, May 9, for the fourth day of trial with the same witness on the stand.
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