The Chairperson of Parliament’s Police Committee Ian Cameron has condemned the acquittal of eight VIP Protection Unit officers – widely known as the #BlueLightMafia – calling it “a shameful day” for the South African Police Service (SAPS).

The officers were filmed in July 2023 assaulting civilians on the N1 highway in an incident that shocked the nation. Despite the widely circulated footage and intense public outcry, all eight have now been cleared by SAPS’s internal disciplinary process.

Cameron has described the outcome as “indefensible” and said it highlights deep flaws in the police accountability system. “The institution that is supposed to uphold the law has instead protected those who so blatantly violated it — on camera, in full public view, with South Africa watching,” he said.

A Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) request has revealed serious irregularities and prolonged delays in the disciplinary process.

Among the issues raised were:

• Frequent objections and recusal applications that stalled proceedings
• Repeated postponements driven by union representatives from POPCRU and SAPU
• Strategic “sick leave” by officers on key hearing dates
• Mid-process replacement of union representatives, triggering further delays
• Several officers returning to duty within three months of the assault
• Over R112,000 spent on the disciplinary chairperson’s fees alone

Cameron has accused both SAPS and the involved unions of manipulating the system to avoid accountability. “This was not a process aimed at justice. It was an exercise in avoidance, manipulation, and institutional protectionism,” he said.

Victims of the assault, including one man who was beaten unconscious, have yet to receive justice. “This decision sends them a cruel message: you don’t matter, even when the whole country saw what happened to you.”

In response, Cameron has pledged to:

• Summon the Minister of Police to appear before Parliament to account for the failed process
• Demand the urgent continuation of criminal prosecution against the officers
• Propose new legislation to prevent abuse of SAPS disciplinary procedures and clarify the use of force guidelines for police

“This Committee will deal further with this matter,” he said. “We will pursue every mechanism available to restore credibility, demand reform, and stand with the victims.”