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Two men described as “VIP protectors” attached to the mayor of Madibeng Municipality appeared in court yesterday morning, 2 February, on charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice, and are due back in court tomorrow, 4 February, for a formal bail application. According to the allegations, an unmarked BMW with dashboard blue lights, no siren and no visible insignia forced a SANDF couple off the road near the R80. One of the men allegedly exited the vehicle armed with an R5 rifle and questioned them about a missing rear number plate. The deceased (36-year-old Sergeant Michael Swanton) then asked for their appointment certificates and proof of lawful authority, and as the men walked back toward the SUV, he followed to verify who they were. It was at that moment, in full view of his wife, that he was allegedly shot in the head with what is said to be a state-issued R5 assault rifle. That detail matters. If these men were private security, they should not have access to a fully automatic R5, a state weapon ordinarily reserved for SAPS or other law enforcement. At most, a private security company could lawfully access an LM5, the semi-automatic civilian version (Not that this would justify their actions). It is now alleged by some that both accused are on the municipal payroll, but in what capacity remains unclear, and that the firearm allegedly forms part of Madibeng traffic’s armoury. We are also told they were with the mayor at the time of the incident, that after the shooting they first dropped him off, then switched vehicles to a white Toyota Fortuner before driving to Hercules SAPS. It is further alleged they are both former SAPS members. All of this sits uncomfortably alongside written instructions from a former traffic chief explicitly prohibiting officials from fitting blue lights to their vehicles. This raises an even more basic question. Why would VIP protectors be interrogating a missing number plate at all? Their mandate is the protection of their principal, not traffic enforcement, not roadside policing, and certainly not stopping civilians at night in unmarked vehicles. So were these men municipal officials acting far outside any lawful authority, or private protectors behaving like police while carrying state firearms? Either scenario points to a catastrophic failure of oversight and command. This does not resemble lawful protection, it resembles armed intimidation enabled by political proximity. Police seized two 9mm pistols, an R5 rifle, a black BMW X3 and a white Toyota Fortuner. No political office comes with a private militia, and no one stands above the law. IC

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