City questions speed of arrest of VIP Unit members

Three members of the City's VIP protection services were scheduled to appear in court today on a charge of common assault, following an incident involving Mr Andile Lili last week. However, the Control Prosecutor decided not to enroll the matter until the outcome of representations to be made to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is known (see report).

The City of Cape Town will continue to co-operate with the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the DPP on this issue. However, it is worth noting that the SAPS moved with unprecedented speed to arrest the three members of the City's VIP protection team and secure their court appearance.

This stands in stark contrast to, for example, their repeated failure to act with similar swiftness against the identified ringleaders of the so called ‘poo wars' and the ‘ungovernability' campaign, in which Mr Lili played a key role.

We will continue to monitor this case closely to ensure that due process is followed, free from any undue interference.

We trust that SAPS will, in future, show the same level of determination and consistency in arresting perpetrators of unrest in the city.

Statement issued by Alderman Dirk Smit, Speaker of the City of Cape Town, September 26 2013

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter