What should be a "blue light" emergency?

[Dave A]

Apparently our President's convoy was involved in an incident this weekend. I've somehow missed the story, but apparently some SABC crew got video footage of the incident, which was confiscated by the VIP protection team.

The video footage has since been returned, minus portions of the footage - probably the embarrassing stuff.

This could turn into quite a blue stink!

[Dave A]

Ah yes. Here we go:

A probe into the police's VIP protection unit would render an objective finding into the conduct of its members, the South African Police Union (Sapu) said on Thursday.

"We are of the opinion that, as our country is a constitutional democracy, there is no one who is above the law," the union said.

Sapu said it welcomed the probe, which will be conducted by the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD).

The investigation -- confirmed by the ICD on Wednesday -- comes in the wake of a motorist being assaulted, allegedly by the president's VIP officers, near Johannesburg on Saturday.

It is alleged that the motorist's car "got too close" to President Kgalema Motlanthe's convoy and that VIP unit members fired shots at the vehicle and then confiscated equipment belonging to South African Broadcasting Corporation journalists on the scene.

The ICD would also be investigating numerous other incidents involving the unit which had been reported over the last 12 months.
full story from M&G here

Pity about the deleted footage.

[Graeme]

Just a few minutes ago I watched a government stooge on TV (chanel 403) deny that the VIP unit had a discipline problem!

[Morticia]

There's also no cholera problem in ZIM, HIV doesn't cause AIDS, crime in SA is under control and the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and Santa are living of garlic, beetroot and potato in Fantasia.

[Dave A]

Setting up an investigation is the classic first step to sweeping issues under the carpet. It looks like you're doing something until the spotlight moves on to something else.

One comment from the public aired on radio is that the whole flashing lights big convey deal actually attracts attention, thereby increasing the risk to the VIP. So is this really for the safety of the VIP, or is it just an ego trip with the VIP protection mob joining in on the party?

Another question: Why do these VIPs feel so threatened in the first place?
Or more: Are they really irreplaceable?

[Marq]

Setting up an investigation is the classic first step to sweeping issues under the carpet.

No No Dave.....the first classic step is announcing that there is a Plan which will be discussed on Monday to set up an investigation.

Are they really irreplaceable?

I think this is true......I don't think that one could get bigger or better morons to replace them. Having said that.. I have been proved wrong on occasions in the past.

[Dave A]

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille says that she wants her MECs to lead by example by not abusing their power with the use of blue light convoys.

Health MEC Theuns Botha was the last of the provincial cabinet members to have the blue lights and sirens removed from his ministerial vehicle.

Zille said she wants to set a precedent whereby no government official uses blue light cavalcades in the Cape unless it is a true emergency.

"Ministers are citizens like everybody else, we have an equal right to the road but not an additional right to the road," she said.
full story from iafrica.com here

Progress

[adrianh]

eeee-yes... no more gonna have-aaa theee blue light...
...but-eeee lika the-eeee trains we gonna put theee new special green flashing light...
Eishh..tooooo cleva...fora that one Godziiiiilllla...

[murdock]

if it is such an emergency a supoort vehicle with all the correct police markings should be used and as chatmaster mentioned "adequatley trained responsible personel" should be driving these vehicles...

also considering the careful planning when moving MPs also mentioned by chatmaster...there should be no rush to get from one location to another.

i suppose another thing which also requires cafreful planning is the size of the vehicles and engine capacity also mentioned by chatmaster... to carry all the addtional weight for the fat cats...maybe thats why there is 1 vehicle per MP...and they use big vehicles for big people...imagie trying to fit some of these fat cats into a toyota corolla....firstly they would have to modify them to fit sliding doors...then fit a V8 to increase the power...just picture a 1600 twin cam engine trying to get out of a sticky situation with a half a ton on the back seat...in saying that... another thing comes to mind you would also need the vehicle to be back wheel drive otherwise the front wheels would be up in the air wheel spinning ...and here we thought it was a status thing for them to drive around in big cars...more like a weight issue.

[adrianh]

These blue light guys have it all wrong, they should simply transport the MP's in towtrucks. They are the only people driving big block V8's that can outrun the fastest police car, ambulance, fire truck and any other form of transport. They can do handbrake U-turns in one lane and even change direction from going south to north on a highway without slowing down. They are so tuned into their surroundings (okay, I'll admit, they use scanner radios - or it could be quantum syncronicity, I'm not sure which) to be able to arrive anywhere before anybody else.