President Cyril Ramaphosa's VIP protection team has allegedly assaulted a motorist leaving him with a disjointed shoulder after he refused to open the road for the President's motorcade. The dramatic incident happened on the N1 highway on August 18, 2023, when Ramaphosa was enroute to the BRICS Summit in Sandton, this was just weeks after SAPS members attached to Deputy President Paul Mashatile's security detail were caught on video assaulting a motorist and passengers on the N1 Highway.
BEATEN AND RELEASED AFTER A NIGHT IN POLICE CELLS
Not only was Jean Pieterse, a self-employed businessman assaulted, but he was also arrested by the Midrand police on reckless and negligent charges but later released after spending a night in police cells. This happened after Pieterse was accused by one of Ramaphosa's VIP Protection Unit member Warrant Officer Jama who said Pieterse refused to listen to one of their members Maupa Naga, a motorbike rider and part of the President's protection team to move from the fast lane of the highway to the slow lane in order to allow the number one citizen's motorcade to pass through.
MOTORIST PLANS LAWSUIT FOR UNLAWFUL ARREST
But Pieterse has this week told ZiMoja that he was busy with his lawyers, and they will be instituting a lawsuit against the police, the President and his bodyguards for unlawful arrest stating that he was treated like a thug as if he was not a South African citizen. Pieterse said the entire incident happened very fast and he was focusing on the road when suddenly a motorbike appeared bucking Instructions that he must move away. However, he said he did nothing wrong for him to deserve the treatment he received from the officers who were driving with the President, stating that he was pushed out of the road and grabbed by his shoulders while being assaulted.
He said as a result of the bust up with the VIP protectors of the President, he suffered a disjointed shoulder on the right arm. He said he kept asking them why they were assaulting him but said the only response he got was that he must learn to listen when given instructions by men of the law and not disrespect the State President. " After I was taken to the station, an ambulance was called to treat me because they could see that I was hurt on my shoulder, and thereafter I was taken to the police cells where I was kept for a night," said Pieterse when asked about the incident.
ARREST A MISTAKE AND CHARGES DROPPED
He said the police late realized that they had made a mistake by arresting him, and they release him the next day and dropped all charges against him. " That's how I was able to see that I was not wrong. Otherwise, why did they let me go the next day and did not take me to court," he queried. The self-employed businessman said his lawyers were busy drafting documents preparing to institute a lawsuit against the police, the President and his bodyguards for unlawful arrest indicating that the entire incident left him traumatized and unable to work for weeks.
RAMAPHOSA VIP PROTECTORS SIDE OF THE STORY
According to a police statement deposed by the member of the VIP Protection Unit Warrant Officer Jama, he said Pieterse who was a driving a white NP 200 Bakkie was driving slowly on the fast lane and holding a cellphone in his hand, and he refused Instructions from officer Maupa Naga who was riding a VIP Protection bike leading the convoy of the motorcade of the President. "The driver was notified or indicated to move out of the fast lane to the left lane. The member squizzed his way to right hand side of the bakkie, and the bakkie swerved to the right and nearly hitting the police bike or VIP Protection bike," reads Jama's statement to the police.
The President's VIP protector said his team members managed to stop Pieterse, but said the motorist refused to provide his driver licence and he instead started recording them on his cellphone. "The suspect was arrested for reckless and negligent driving, obstruction and using a cellphone while driving and detained at Midrand SAPS," further reads the police statement seen by Zimoja. Pieterse confirmed recording the entire incident on his cellphone, but he told Zimoja that he never used his phone while driving. "I only used it when I was recording them because they were bullying me," he said.
VIP PROTECTORS CONFIRM DISLOCATED SHOULDER AND TREATMENT
In the same police statement, Jama confirmed that Pieterse had complained about a dislocated right shoulder after he was arrested, and he said an ambulance was called to treat him. The police statement shows that members from Gauteng Emergency services, Mr Mlisa and Mpekwana were the one who arrived to treat Pieterse, and they treated him and confirmed that he was now well. Presidency Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya failed to respond to questions sent to him on Tuesday. At the time of publication, National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe had not responded to our enquiries.
