The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on Police Minister Bheki Cele to hold a press conference before the end of Thursday to announce the arrest of a group of six VIP protection officers attached to Deputy President Paul Mashatile for brutally assaulting three members of the South African National Defence Force on the N1 freeway, in Johannesburg.

DA Shadow Minister of Police Andrew Whitfield said the public demanded transparency and swift justice.

The party noted that Thursday marked the tenth day since the incident was reported, however, nobody had been arrested thus far.

“Minister Cele possesses knowledge of their identities and the victims involved, in addition to clear video footage documenting the incident. It is time to cease attempts to sweep this grave incident under the carpet. The DA will not stand idly by and allow such behaviour to go unchecked,” said Whitfield.

The party maintained that the actions of “these blue light bullies” demonstrated a "shocking abuse of power".

Whitfield noted that the DA refused to accept that internal disciplinary processes within the South African Police Service (Saps) were sufficient consequences for the officers involved.

“The DA demands that they be arrested and held accountable through the full force of the law. The video evidence, along with additional prima facie evidence in the possession of the Saps, clearly identifies the perpetrators. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the Saps to take immediate action and ensure their apprehension,” said the DA.

Whitfield highlighted that it was unequivocally clear that this incident must not, under any circumstances, be allowed to fade into obscurity.

He added that the principles of transparency, accountability, and the preservation of public trust demanded that swift and decisive action be taken against these offenders.