Eight members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP Protection Unit, who were filmed assaulting civilians on Johannesburg’s N1 highway in July 2023, have been acquitted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) following an internal disciplinary process.
The officers – Shadrack Kojoana, Johannes Mampuru, Posmo Mofokeng, Harmans Ramokhonami, Phineas Boshielo, Churchill Mkhize, Lesiba Ramabu, and Moses Fhatuwani – remain out on R10 000 bail each and still face 12 criminal charges, including assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, malicious damage to property, reckless driving, and obstruction of justice. Their criminal trial is set to resume at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on 10 June 2025.
The internal police disciplinary acquittal has triggered widespread condemnation. Democratic Alliance MP and Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, called the decision “a national shame and miscarriage of justice,” arguing that it undermines public trust in the SAPS and reinforces perceptions that police officers are above the law. Cameron described the internal disciplinary process as a “tick-box exercise” and criticized the role of police unions in stalling proceedings, labelling the outcome as “weaponised bureaucracy funded by taxpayers”.
Footage of the incident, which circulated widely on social media, showed the officers brandishing rifles and pistols as they assaulted the occupants of a VW Polo. Despite the video evidence, the officers were reinstated to non-operational office roles in October 2023 after their suspensions lapsed under SAPS regulations.
Cameron has pledged to write to the Police Minister and National Commissioner demanding an explanation for the acquittal, and the committee is considering legislative reforms to address perceived weaknesses in SAPS’s internal disciplinary mechanisms.
“This ruling sends a dangerous message to both the public and the police that brutality will be tolerated and even protected behind closed doors. It makes a mockery of justice, further alienates the public from law enforcement and threatens to sabotage the criminal case that still lies ahead. The victims have suffered deeply, physically, emotionally, financially, psychologically for them to now see the attackers walk free from internal accountability,” said Juanita du Preez, Action Society Spokesperson.
The outcome has left victims and the public dismayed, with critics warning that such decisions further erode already low levels of trust in law enforcement. The criminal case, however, remains ongoing, with the next court date scheduled for June.
