Although the law allows blue lights absolute right of passage, there have been calls for clearer guidelines on when and how VIP protection officers should be allowed to use their privilege.
This follows after a group of about six VIP protection officers, in two police-owned BMW X5s, were caught on video brutally assaulting three men on the N1 in Johannesburg.
It has since been established that the six SAPS VIP protection officers involved in the brutal assault of the three men are attached to Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who was not present when the incident happened.
But questions are being asked about why then the officers were driving in an aggressive manner with their blue lights on, if their political principal was not even present.
Automobile Association spokesperson Layton Beard, who said there was a need for proper guidelines on how and when officers were allowed to utilise blue lights when transporting their principals, said the officers involved must have their day in court and severe punishment should be meted against them.
The SAPS has outlined that an internal process was under way to deal with the matter, but while speaking to television news broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday, Beard said severe punishment needed to be meted out to all officers at the crime scene.
It is not known what led to the incident and the police watchdog, Ipid, is believed to be in discussions with the victims and their family urging them to register a case.
Regulation 308(h) of the National Road Traffic Regulations, states that no person driving on a public road shall fail to give immediate and absolute right of way to a vehicle sounding a device or bell or displaying an identification lamp in terms of section 58(3) or 60 or Regulation 176.
In other words, members of the public are obliged to safely give the right of way to blue lights or emergency vehicles when prompted to do so.
The non-profit organisation, Justice Project South Africa, told Algoa News that they believe the term “emergency” should be defined in the National Road Traffic Act.
“Drivers of vehicles displaying flashing red/blue lights and sounding sirens must only be allowed to lawfully use them in a bona fide emergency and within a strict framework of operational requirements - like for example - limiting the speed with which they may disregard a red traffic light signal,” they said.
Beard said in his experience, motorists did give right of way to vehicles fitted with lights, but he said these vehicles were increasingly aggressive to motorists while others went to the extent of making threatening hand signals and drawing firearms to intimidate motorists.
“The public is obliged to make way for fire trucks, ambulances, police and generally speaking, people do make way for these vehicles
“The problem also however, is that… these drivers are incredibly aggressive to other drivers, there are hand gestures and signs that are shown and firearms drawn at times,” he said.
Policing expert Professor Jean Steyn, the head of the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Zululand, said although the blue lights could be seen as a menace to society, motorists simply had to get out of the way and ask questions later if need be.
“Move out of the way safely where you can, just go left, and pray they arrive safely where they are going,” he said.
Beard also said that if Mashatile was not in the vehicle as reported, questions about the VIP officers' need for aggression had to be asked.
“What was the purpose of the convoy being so angry if the principal was not even in the car? There are lots of questions we need to ask about this incident.
“Blue light brigades are generally a menace, we need proper guidelines and absolute clarity on what their role and obligations are,” said Beard.
Beard said it was not good enough that the officers could be tried internally.
“This is not good enough, this needs to unfold in open court so that the public can see that it is being dealt with,” he said.
IOL