Blue light brigades under fire after mayor’s bodyguard charged with murder

Blue light brigades under fire after mayor’s bodyguard charged with murder

The killing of a serving South African Air Force member has reignited one of South Africa’s most uncomfortable conversations: who really polices the people paid to protect politicians?

This week, that question landed squarely in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, where two men linked to Madibeng mayor Douglas Maimane’s security detail appeared on charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice. One is a bodyguard, the other the mayor’s driver. Their brief court appearance has sent shockwaves far beyond the courtroom.

At the centre of the case is 36-year-old Sergeant Michael Swanton, whose death has become a grim symbol of what critics describe as a growing culture of fear and unchecked power on South Africa’s roads.

A routine stop that turned deadly

According to information placed before the court, Swanton and his wife were travelling on 30 January when they were allegedly stopped by an unmarked BMW fitted with blue lights. The reason given: their vehicle had no rear number plate.

When Swanton reportedly asked the armed men to identify themselves, he was allegedly shot in the head.

The suspects later handed themselves over at the Hercules police station, claiming they believed they were facing an attempted hijacking. The case has been postponed to allow for a formal bail application.

A familiar and frightening pattern

For many South Africans, the details sound chillingly familiar. Blue light convoys, often meant for VIP protection, have long been accused of intimidating motorists, ignoring traffic laws and acting above accountability.

DA police spokesperson Lisa-Maré Schickerling described the shooting as another example of a “dangerous culture of impunity”, reminding the public of a widely circulated video showing members of a deputy president’s convoy assaulting a civilian on a highway.

National Assembly police committee chair Ian Cameron went further, calling the incident “thuggish behaviour” rather than legitimate close protection.

“Armed men with no clear identification, no sirens and no lawful authority forcing a vehicle off the road and killing a civilian is not protection,” Cameron said.

Who authorised this level of force?

A key unanswered question remains whether the men were private security or municipal law enforcement. Either scenario raises red flags.

If private, Cameron says regulators must urgently scrutinise PSIRA registration, firearm licences, training records and use-of-force protocols. If municipal, the use of rifles, blue lights and stop-and-search powers outside a clear legal framework points to failures at the highest level of local government.

“Real protection officers de-escalate. They don’t impersonate police or shoot people for asking questions,” Cameron added.

Calls for reform grow louder

Legal experts and academics agree this case could become a turning point. Criminal law specialist Cornelia van Graan said the incident highlights the urgent need to rethink how VIP protection officers are recruited, trained and monitored.

University of Limpopo academic Witness Maluleke noted that ordinary citizens have long complained of abuse by armed escorts, many incidents never making it to a police docket.

On social media, anger has been palpable, with users demanding jail time, tighter laws and an end to what some call “political militarisation”.

More than one life lost

As the legal process unfolds, Swanton’s death has become about more than a single tragedy. It has reopened a national reckoning over power, accountability and who gets to carry guns in the name of protection.

For many South Africans, the hope is simple: that this case finally draws a hard line between legitimate security and lawlessness wearing blue lights.

{Source: The Citizen}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com