A WITNESS in the case against eight members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile's VIP protection unit, implicated in an assault incident on the N1 in July 2023, life was turned upside down.
He expressed how he constantly lives in fear, and every time he comes across the police, he gets scared.
The witness revealed this on Tuesday, 7 May, during his testimony before the Randburg Magistrates Court.
Shadrack Molekatlane Kojoana, Johannes Matome Mampuru, Pomso Joseph Mofokeng, Harmans Madumetja Ramokhonami, Phineas Molefo Boshielo, Churchill Mpakamaseni Mkhize, Lesibana Aggrie Rambau, and Moses Fhatuwani Tshidada have entered their second day of trial.
The men stand charged with 11 offences. These include assault, malicious damage to property, attempting to defeat or obstruct the administration of justice, and pointing a firearm.
The men have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Attacked with a gun on my head
The witness detailed how, on the day of the incident, he was driving from Potchefstroom in North West to Pretoria in Gauteng.
He testified while driving, he spotted a black SUV in a car that had been pointing a firearm at him. At the time, he thought he was being hijacked, but little did he know that the men would pounce on him.
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According to the witness, one guy tried breaking the driver's window, but when he failed, he proceeded to break the back window. It was then that he suffered several blows with a gun, causing him to lose consciousness.
When he eventually woke up, he said he started driving off, thanking God that he was still alive.
According to the witness, the incident left him in a dire state. His lip and face were swollen, he broke two of his teeth and the jersey he had been wearing was filled with blood.
The matter continues in court, with the state now given the green light to refer to the video footage of the incident.
Before this, defence lawyer Advocate Mswazi Makhubele challenged state prosecutor Elize Le Roux, claiming that the video was not authenticated and could not be used as evidence throughout the trial and that the witnesses could not testify on them.
However, Magistrate Abdul Khan decided to allow the state to use the video as it is real evidence and can be used throughout the trial.
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