Court says Mashatile's former bodyguards have case to answer in their assault matter

The Randburg Magistrates Court says the former bodyguards of Deputy President Paul Mashatile still have a case to answer regarding their assault matter.

On Thursday, the eight men, attached to the SAPS VIP presidential protection unit, appeared before the Randburg Magistrates Court, where they failed to have the charges against them dropped.

The court did dismiss the main charges in their section 174 discharge application, saying they all still needed to answer to the assault and causing malicious damage to property charges.

The officers are accused of assaulting civilians on the side of the Johannesburg N1 highway in July 2023. 

Magistrate Abdul Khan said that the incident was captured on video.

"The video evidence submitted as evidence corroborates the State’s version that the accused had acted in common purpose, as it was observed by [witness name withheld] during his testimony that the victims were assaulted by six males when he was shown the video. The accused admitted they were present. At this stage here, the court is satisfied that all eight accused acted in common purpose in the assault."

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