Mbalula confirms Mashatile ‘was present’ during assault as VIP cops return to court
Deputy President Paul Mashatile was present during the VIP assault on the N1 in Johannesburg, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula confirmed on Tuesday.
Mbalula's remarks came as the accused will make their second court appearance on Wednesday.
He addressed the media at the ANC's local government workshop in Boksburg.
Mbalula's remarks starkly contrast the claim by Mashatile's office that the deputy president was not present during the incident.
Eight officers from the police's VIP unit first appeared in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Monday. They are facing 12 charges.
The court heard on Monday that the person who took the video received a threatening text message from an unknown number.
On Tuesday, Mbalula was asked if the ANC would ask Mashatile to step aside, in line with the resolutions on party members found on the wrong side of the law.
"The deputy president was in the convoy, I cannot speak on his security detail. When you are in a convoy, you will not see what happens around you because you are being defended. The deputy president has never said he was not in the convoy. He was in the convoy.
"So where does the step aside come in there? There is no step aside there. What we said as the ANC is that this matter must be investigated by Independent Police Investigative Directorate (and is being investigated," Mbalula said.
Meanwhile, Action SA's Lerato Ngobeni says Mashatile's version of events needs to be interrogated.
"Court proceeding confirmed under oath that the VIP unit assaulted the South Africans after they apparently tried to hit the vehicle Mashatile was driving in.
"This is a direct contradiction with a statement made by the deputy president after the incident took place where he said that he was not present when the incident occurred."
