THE case against the eight members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile's VIP protection unit linked to an assault incident on the N1 in July 2023 is finally ready to head to trial.
The state confirmed this on Thursday, 9 November, when the accused appeared before the Randburg Magistrates Court.
The trial is set for 2024 between 6 to 10 May.
Shadrack Molekatlane Kojoana and his seven colleagues - Johannes Matome Mampuru, Pomso Joseph Mofokeng, Harmans Madumetja Ramokhonami, Phineas Molefo Boshielo, Churchill Mpakamaseni Mkhize, Lesibana Aggrie Rambau and Moses Fhatuwani Tshidada, appeared before court unmasked, showing their faces before court.
This was the first time the court saw their faces, meaning an identity parade had since been concluded.
The men face 12 charges, including assault and obstruction of justice.
The charges stem from an incident where the accused were caught on video allegedly assaulting four motorists on the N1 in Gauteng.
At the time of the incident, it was revealed that Mashatile was not present when the incident happened.
Two days after the incident, the men were served with a suspension notice.
But it has now been confirmed that the men are back at work
In court on Thursday, the state prosecutor Elize Le Roux indicated that investigations have since been concluded.
UNMASKED : The eight members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile's VIP protection linked to an assault incident on the N1 in July 2023 appeared in court with their face revealed. @dailysunsa pic.twitter.com/BLstgLvQSq
— Zandile Ethel Khumalo (@Ethel_Khumalo) November 9, 2023
Le Roux said they were ready to deal with the matter in court, and defence lawyer Advocate Mswazi Mkhubela agreed.
Mkhubela said that the accused would need Zulu, Venda, Tswana, Pedi and Sotho language translators for the trial.
ALSO READ: SASSA disability grant puts deadly target on man
Reacting to the outcome in court, Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman Phindi Mjonondwane said the state has enough evidence to sustain the allegations against the accused and ready to proceed with the next stage of the case, which is a trial.
In an related case on Wednesday, 7 November, the Randburg Magistrates Court was turned into a crime scene when two people, a couple, were shot and killed outside.
The woman was shot dead outside the court with her spouse, who was a witness in a trial against four police officers charged with assault dating back to 2018.
This raised an eyebrow on the safety of witnesses, given with that this is another police brutality matter.
But Mjonondwane was adamant that the safety of the witnesses was made a priority.
"We take the safety of witnesses seriously as the NPA. Hence, we have a unit called witness protection, and we can only act once information has been brought to our attention as the prosecution and an assessment of the threat is done," she said.
"To date, the witnesses have not received any form of threats to witnesses, and if such info is received, necessary steps will be followed to ensure they are safe."
