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Following yet another incident of power abuse by the SAPS VIP protection unit, I have written to the chairperson of the portfolio committee on police, Ms Chikunga, to urgently summons the head of the unit to appear before the committee to explain his unit's recent actions.

A talk radio journalist was allegedly accosted on Tuesday in Johannesburg by members of the SAPS VIP protection unit after having taken photographs of President Zuma's cavalcade. He was then forced to delete his photos. Yesterday, another photographic journalist and an intern were allegedly detained by the SAPS for taking photographs of the presidential home in Forest Town in Gauteng. All of this comes just weeks after jogger Chumani Maxwele was arrested and incarcerated for gesturing at the presidential motorcade.

The Divisional Commissioner of Protection and Security Services, Mzondeki Tshabalala, and his VIP units have been plagued with controversy over recent years, but these three incidents in particular point to serious power abuse and the erosion of fundamental constitutional rights. This situation simply cannot be allowed to continue.

I have written to Ms. Chikunga to request that Mr Tshabalala appears before the committee to explain these three incidents specifically and the many others that the DA has reported on. In particular, he needs to explain:

•Why the journalist was forced to delete his photographs, why the jogger was arrested and why the photographer was detained;
Under what legal pretext were these individuals denied their respective rights;
What action is being taken against those SAPS members that abused their powers in these incidents and acted against constitutional principles; and
What action he is taking to ensure that further incidents such as these do not occur in the future.

The Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille, is acting to ban the use of blue light brigades in the Western Cape. This shows the Democratic Alliance's commitment to reining in the blue light bullies, and ensuring that all South Africans are equal under the law and the Constitution.