GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
4 July 2023
The GOOD Party condemns the abuse of powers and violent assault of members of the public by Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection unit.
The despicable behaviour was caught on video showing a group of armed men attacking civilians on a highway in Johannesburg, before simply speeding off and leaving the injured in the middle of the road.
Officers of the South African Police Service are trusted to protect all citizens of the country, including both the Deputy President as well as ordinary South Africans.
They are expected to uphold and protect the fundamental rights of every person, and exercise the powers in a responsible manner.
As GOOD we welcome the commitment by the National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.
We further call on the investigations by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to be executed in a transparent manner and to ensure that anyone found guilty of abusing their powers are held accountable.
No one is above the law, including those who are supposed to be protecting the Deputy President of the country.
Incidents of this nature only further erode the trust our citizens have in the police.
South Africans are already faced with unacceptable high levels of violence and crime in their daily lives, and should not also have to fear the police officers who are supposed to protect him.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 082 518 3264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 073 367 1223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za