Debate has been raging on different platforms in South Africa regarding the use, and often misuse, of police VIP Protection Units which escort top government officials.
Characterised by high-speed black sport utility vehicles or powerful sedans, the convoys are known for their aggressive driving and the “protectors” are generally feared by fellow drivers on South Africa’s busy highways.
“What we have noticed is that it seems like these convoys became a status symbol for politicians. The better your security convoy, the higher the security alert around you, the more important you as an official become in your own eyes and also the eyes of those around you. That is just uncalled for,” Willem Els from the Institute for Security Studies spoke to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
“The protection of VIPs, the protection of the president and the vice president is extremely important. It remains the responsibility of the police, but that should be determined based on threat levels on a risk analysis.
“That risk analysis should be done every day, on a day-to-day basis and it should develop. Should the risk increase, you increase your levels, should it decrease, you decrease your levels,” he said.
Els said recent studies have shown that trust in the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been eroded.
“It was quite a disturbing video to observe. The first thing that came to mind is that those people, apart from being protectors and close protectors of the president or the vice president, they are police officers.
“We see that studies have shown in recent months that the trust in the police is almost at zero with the public of South Africa. That (video) contributed to that perception of the police that it is completely incompetent and that is also out of hand,” he said.
Els said because of similar incidents, cases of misconduct by police officers over the past five years have ballooned to R2.3 billion in claims by wronged community members.
“That money could have been used to combat crime and to investigate crime. That is just an indication that over the past five years, misconduct rose by 52%, so that is a management problem that we have in the country. Things are really getting out of hand,” said Els.
On Tuesday, as the video of the brutal attack circulated widely on social media platforms, Deputy President Paul Mashatile said he has become aware of “an unfortunate incident” in which members of the SAPS who are attached to his VIP protection detail were recorded severely assaulting and civilians on the N1 in Johannesburg.
Mashatile’s spokesperson, Vukani Mde said Mashatile “abhors” any unnecessary use of force, particularly against unarmed civilians.
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