BRITS – Two bodyguards attached to the mayor of Madibeng Local Municipality are due to appear in court after allegedly shooting dead an Air Force sergeant in front of his wife.
Sergeant Michael Swanton was killed on the Mabopane main road within Madibeng Local Municipality last week, after an unmarked BMW X3 fitted with a single blue light allegedly stopped him. He was then shot by armed bodyguards dressed in civilian clothing.
According to a police report, the blue light vehicle stopped them because their Ford Figo had no rear number plate. Swanton was confronted then by two armed bodyguards and explained to them that his vehicle had been in for repairs and may have then fallen off.
The bodyguards returned to their vehicle. Swanton however approached the vehicle to ask the bodyguards for official identification, as their vehicle only had a blue light on the dashboard and no other official markings.
One of the bodyguards then allegedly shot Swanton in the head.
The bodyguards are attached to Madibeng mayor Douglas Maimane and according to reports the mayor was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting.
According to a local police spokesperson, the bodyguards then fled the scene. They later surrendered themselves at the Hercules Police Station in Pretoria, stating that they had first taken Maimane to his home in Brits. The bodyguards where subsequently arrested and charged with murder.
The incident has raised questions about identification procedures and the rules governing VIP protection operations.
The Democratic Alliance has condemned the killing and called for a swift, transparent investigation.
DA spokesperson on police Lisa Schickerling said the incident exposes what she described as a “dangerous culture” surrounding blue light convoys.
“This incident once again exposes the dangerous culture surrounding the so-called ‘blue light brigade’, where armed bodyguards operate with impunity, intimidate road users and place innocent lives at risk. No public official or their security detail is above the law,” Schickerling said.
She referenced a previous incident in which members of a blue light convoy attached to the Deputy President were filmed assaulting a civilian motorist on a public highway.
“It is deeply concerning that an unmarked vehicle with limited identification was used in an operation that ended in the loss of an innocent life. This points to a serious failure in protocols, oversight and accountability within VIP protection services,” Schickerling said.
The DA has demanded an urgent review of VIP protection policies and called for those responsible to face legal consequences.
“We further demand an urgent review of VIP protection policies to prevent the continued abuse of power and to ensure that public safety, not political privilege, remains the priority,” Schickerling said.
The party extended condolences to Swanton’s family and loved ones.
Maimane’s office is yet to respond to questions over the incident.
