South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he will not sack his deputy, Paul Mashatile, amid pressure for his removal after his bodyguards were filmed assaulting two unarmed men in Johannesburg on July 2.
“I had a discussion with the deputy president. I told him: ‘I appointed you and I am the only person who can remove you from office, but I want to assure you there is no plan or intention to do that’,” Ramaphosa said during African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee meeting in Boksburg, Gauteng Province on Sunday.
A viral footage, which sparked outrage among many South Africans, showed Mashatile’s bodyguards forcibly pulling two men out of a vehicle and kicking them.
The victims were members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). On the day of the incident, they were travelling to Johannesburg from the capital Pretoria.
“One of the occupants in the SUV was pointing a firearm at the victims’ vehicle. The victims’ vehicle was subsequently boxed in by more SUVs and forced, in formation, to the left side of the N1 highway,” SANDF trade union said in a statement.
Mashatile, who wasn’t at the scene of the assault, described the incident as “unfortunate.”
“The deputy president abhors any unnecessary use of force, particularly against unarmed civilians,” a statement released by his office said.
National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the officers have been suspended from work and are under investigation.
