Action Society continues to monitor the trial of the eight members of the South African Police Service’s VIP Protection Unit, commonly known as the #BlueLightMafia, which was scheduled to resume in the Randburg Magistrates Court this week. The matter had been set down for hearing from 27 to 30 July 2026 but was postponed before the trial could proceed. The case will now continue from 1 to 5 February 2027.
The case stems from the widely publicised assault on the N1 highway in July 2023, when members of a VIP Protection Unit convoy forced a blue Volkswagen Polo to stop before violently assaulting its occupants in broad daylight. The incident, captured on video and shared across the country, sparked widespread public outrage and raised serious questions about accountability within specialised SAPS units. During the previous court sitting, one of the accused continued his testimony regarding VIP convoy formations and the events leading up to the assault. The eight accused face charges including assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, malicious damage to property and other related offences arising from the incident. Action Society continues to monitor the proceedings as the matter moves towards its next hearing in February 2027.
