Firearms and assault charges for VIP Protection Unit officers after N1 attack

The video clip was shown extensively on international news programmes, BBC et al. The ANC is under pressure in every hard hitting news interview to explain the demise of South Africa. Failure to charge would have again brought interviews on International TV by opposition parties of why the incumbents were not charged. Locally we can only comment why it took so long to do it and add the odd snide comment like even the Alex Mafia want their name to be expunged from the record books to protect the alleged Don, the car owner, Deputy President Mashatile

Why has it taken so long to charge these criminals? If they are found guilty by the court, they will lose their firearm licenses. This means they will become unemployable in their current jobs. In any case, they should have been sacked already. Labour law doesn't require them to first be found guilty by the courts before they are fired.

The most telling thing about the ANC is that the deputy president has so far said nothing. It does make one wonder about how the ANC of 2023 sees its voting citizens and make you wonder why they would vote for the ANC

It is a good start, which we can only hope is not just window dressing ahead of the next election. How can you profess to have a 'we care for the people' slogan while you knowingly engage in negligent if not criminal behaviour on the roads? This should be carried through to the rest of the blue light gangs who terrorise our roads with impunity. The officials concerned should be prosecuted as accomplices, as they are actually the root cause of the negligent driving. The excuse that they possess some sort of 'advanced driver qualification' and immunity doesn't wash.

Name & shame! Then ensure that the wheels of justice put those involved in this atrocity behind bars for several years on charges of attemoted murder ! Will our system work or are these further signs of us sinking into a morass of rule by force without any respect for the law ?

There are two ways to ensure the safety of VIPs. One is to arrange incognito travel and the other the "blue light brigade". Invariably the latter is chosen because we desperately need to show everyone how very important we are. It's very much the mentality of an arrogant ruling class and to them I hold up (unashamedly) the example of Ian Smith who (if he did not cycle) travelled to work in his Morris Minor. I do not remember ever noticing him or any other politician travelling in those days because they were happy not to be noticed. Glorious liberation followed of course and with it blue light brigades and thuggery.

Where is our outrage? Where is our activism? We protest so vocally in the echo chamber of online comments, but why are we not marching in the streets? Our hard-earned tax money is paying a lifetime salary for the likes of Zuma; Mkhwebane will get her glorious golden handshake; the blue light brigade thugs will enjoy a couple of weeks of leisure time with full pay - and then will be back on the beat. Where is our protest? Why are we not taking to the streets en masse? I've yet to see one single call to arms by any SA organisation. We've been cowed to bloody grumpy comments and not much else.

One always has to wonder if there was no video footage if it would have been swept under the carpet like was done with Collins Khoza during lockdown.

A deeper ‘review’ needs to be considered here. Why does Paul Mashatile need 8 off duty bodyguards? By extension, as best he as 12 or 16 contracted to him - why? Who is paying these staff? Why did these men decide to be so aggressive? Have any of the 8 (12,16 ...) been involved in incidents before? How many bodyguards are employed to protects politicians? How many incidents have been recorded/settled? Is the public aware of these incidents/settlements? Who pays for bodyguards? Who pay for settlements? Who pays related legal costs? How many known incidents have been recorded/experienced/prevented as a result of having bodyguards? I could think of a few more questions but I am sure needs analysis will show that the vast majority are unneeded, badly allocated and simply an ego trip.

These blue light brigades are, decidedly, a whole heap of pig shit and must end. I was involved in a minor incident going down to Durban in my "boere bakkie" to pick up supplies. I was in the the right lane doing the mandatory 100 to 120 kph . When lo and behold an upmarket SUV driven by a lady appeared very quickly in my rear view mirror. She was expecting me to move over, then began to flash her lights at me, aggressively. This began to irritate me, I would move with no problem for normal drivers if the traffic situation was safe to do so. I then noticed she was about to pass me on the left hand side. I put pedal to the metal, giving my bakkie a big throat of diesel and blocked her from cutting into the right lane, ahead of me. I decided, "to hell with this government person," who was a dangerous threat to me and other motorists. Not long after, I was delighted to note, she had been pulled over by the KZN traffic cops. I just had to go and put my oar in by saying that I would also like to add that she nearly caused a high speed accident by passing me on the left hand side. To cut a long story short I was told by the cops that they were dealing with this. They added that she was an important government ministerial assistant and had to be somewhere fast... I was not impressed. I suggested that she should be pulled off the road because she was a danger to me and other motorists, all because she could not get up early enough... ! This did not impress the lady.