N1 assault: Victim recalls men brandishing guns, prompting him to try flee
The man who is testifying in the trial against the eight officers, told the court he saw no signals asking him to move out of the convoy's way before the alleged attack.
The former bodyguards of Deputy President Paul Mashatile appeared in the Randburg Magistrates Court on 6 May 2024. Picture: Thabiso Goba/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - One of the victims of an apparent attack by members of the VIP Protection Unit has told the Randburg Magistrates Court that all he remembers was being threatened by men with guns on the highway, prompting him to try and flee.
The man is testifying in the trial against eight officers, who are the former bodyguards of Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
They were arrested last year after a video emerged showing them assaulting two men from a VW Polo on the N1 highway.
Despite this, they have pleaded not guilty to charges including assault to cause grievous bodily harm, reckless and negligent driving and assault by way of threat.
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In its cross-examination of the victim, the defence has painted the picture of a reckless driver who posed a threat to the presidential convoy and needed to be stopped.
Defence lawyer Mswazi Makhubele put it to the witness that the officers tried to signal that he should slow down and move away from the convoy, but he ignored them and continued to speed.
But the man insists he saw no such gestures from the officers, but only guns used to threaten him.
He said that caused him to think that they were being hijacked and he needed to flee to safety.
On Wednesday, proceedings ended with the witness being in an emotional state, questioning why the officers did not follow procedure to establish whether he was a threat.
His testimony is set to continue on Thursday morning.