The murder of South African Air Force sergeant Michael Swanton has ignited national outrage, not only for the brutality of the crime, but for the political shadows surrounding it.
Two VIP Protection officers linked to Madibeng mayor Douglas Maimane, are accused of stopping Swanton and his wife with flashing blue lights before fatally shooting him on the R80 in Pretoria North.
Released on R20 000 bail each, the accused face charges of murder, defeating the ends of justice and impersonating police officials.
VIP officers linked to mayor face murder charges
AfriForum has stepped in with a watching brief, warning of political interference and a justice system that risks appearing unequal – one for the connected, another for ordinary citizens.
Pretoria National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said two VIP Protection officers, Thabang Sohole, 41, and Michael Makampe, 42, will appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court again on 9 April after the matter was postponed for further investigations.
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It is alleged on 28 January at about 8pm, Swanton and his wife, both members of the South African National Defence Force, were travelling along Es’kia Mphahlele Drive towards the R80 when they were flagged down by a dark BMW SUV fitted with flashing blue lights.
“The couple then turned onto the R80 towards Mabopane, where they were allegedly forced to pull over on the side of the road,” Mahanjana said.
“It is alleged Sohole and Makampe exited the BMW, one of them armed with an R5 rifle, and approached the couple’s vehicle.
Air force sergeant’s death
“Swanton was seated in the passenger seat, while his wife was the driver. The two allegedly questioned the couple about a missing rear number plate before returning to their vehicle.”
Mahanjana said Swanton then followed them to check their identification and establish whether they were police officials with lawful authority to stop and question them when he was allegedly shot in the head and died at the scene.
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“A few hours later, the two accused handed themselves over at the Hercules Police Station, claiming that they were victims of an attempted hijacking and that a shooting had occurred on the R80,” he said.
AfriForum’s community safety chief spokesperson Jacques Broodryk confirmed its legal team has been instructed to perform a watching brief in the murder case of Swanton.
“This step follows growing concerns over the political connections of the accused, the circumstances surrounding their appointment and the potential for interference in the judicial process,” he said.
AfriForum intervenes
Broodryk said the accused were politically connected individuals who were appointed under questionable circumstances.
“Serious concerns have been raised about the apparent use of blue lights and conduct consistent with the impersonation of police officials, allegedly with the approval or knowledge of mayor Maimane,” he said.
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“Where individuals who are politically connected stand accused of such a grave crime, the public is entitled to absolute transparency and an uncompromised judicial process.
“The impression of political interference in criminal proceedings erodes public trust in the rule of law and creates the perception that there are two justice systems: one for the politically connected and one for ordinary citizens.”
Broodryk said the circumstances surrounding this case raised red flags that cannot be ignored.
Circumstances raised red flags
AfriForum believes the accused pose a potential danger to society and should never have been granted bail.
Parliamentary portfolio committee on police chair Ian Cameron said he was disappointed the accused got bail, considering there were so many major irregularities with the case.
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“I understand bail is considered completely on its own merits, but the problem with this is that it touches on organised crime,” Cameron said.
“The fact that these guys are not law enforcement officers, but were using blue lights and a municipal R5 rifle, the handguns and pistols seized all indicate significant corrupt wrongdoing on their part.”
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