Cape Town — Four of the eight South African Police's VIP Unit members who attacked three civilians on Gauteng province's N1 highway on July 1, 2023, were suspended. The unit are part of the protection detail for Deputy President Paul Mashatile.

Dashcam footage taken by a motorist, who pulled to the side of the road, showed the members dragging one passenger out of the vehicle and kicking him until he lost consciousness. Another passenger was also kicked, while a third passenger scrambled over the guard rail to escape the assault. The unit members were heavily armed during the assault and sped off after the incident.

Mashatile, who was not in either of the VIP vehicles at the time of the attack, condemned the unit's actions after reports of it emerged.

Incidents such as these are reportedly common for what is popularly known as the "blue light brigade" who protect government officials. AllAfrica reports of a 2016 incident in which a pedestrian Solly Moutlana was killed in a blue light road accident. The incident was denied by the unit which was attached to former president Jacob Zuma's protection detail. Blue light incidents have been on the increase since 2008, where civilians were in many cases, accused of not moving aside quickly enough.