The VIP Protection Services are an elite component of the South African Police Service (SAPS) tasked with protecting high-profile dignitaries and politicians.
This blue-light brigade, however, has become synonymous with public dread, earning them titles such as the “blue-light gang” or “blue-light bullies.”
VIP Protection Services was founded as a highly specialized SAPS section with a vital mandate: to provide in-transit protection for high-profile local and foreign guests.
When entrusted with conveying their charges securely and effectively, they have the ability to defy normal traffic laws, a role they have maintained since their establishment in the early post-apartheid era.
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Nonetheless, their apparent freedom has resulted in countless complaints and growing public scorn.
The most recent incident occurred on Monday when cops assigned to Vice President Paul Mashatile’s protection services were seen on film assaulting three individuals on the side of a motorway in Johannesburg.
The heinous crime sparked widespread public outcry across the political and civil society spectrums.
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