Tshwane highway murder: Mayor's driver, bodyguard in court for killing Air Force Sergeant

There has been a public outcry over the murder of South African Air Force Sergeant Michael Swanton.

Swanton was shot dead along Eskia Mphahlele Drive last week, January 28, just after 8pm. According to an IOL report, Swanton and his wife, who was driving, were heading onto the R80 when a BMW SUV with flashing blue lights stopped them.

Civil society group, Action Society condemned the fatal shooting as a “stark and deadly illustration of how the BlueLightMafia continues to operate with little fear of consequence”.

Regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Lumka Mahanjana, confirmed that two VIP protection officers appeared briefly before the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court charged with Swanton's murder. 

The two are assigned to Madibeng Local Municipality Mayor, Douglas Maimane.

“Thabang Eugene Sohole, 41, and Michael Makampe, 42, appeared in court on Monday where they faced charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice.

“It is alleged that Sohole and Makampe exited the BMW, one of them armed with an R5 rifle, and approached the couple’s vehicle. The deceased was seated in the passenger seat, while his wife was the driver. The two allegedly questioned the couple about a missing rear number plate before returning to their vehicle.

“The deceased then followed them to check their identification and establish whether they were police officials with lawful authority to stop and question them. As he approached the BMW, he was shot in the head and died at the scene,” said Mahanjana.

Mahanjana said a few hours later, Sohole and Makampe handed themselves over at the Hercules Police Station, where they claimed they had been victims of an attempted hijacking and that a shooting had taken place on the R80.

The case was postponed to February 4, 2026, for a formal bail application.

Action Society's spokesperson Juanita du Preez said: “This is exactly why South Africans refer to these units as the BlueLightMafia. They act with aggression, secrecy, and entitlement, and ordinary citizens are expected to submit without question. That is not protection. It is intimidation.”

She said the group is calling for immediate, enforceable oversight of VIP protection services, including transparent criteria on who is entitled to protection, strict operational rules, and clear public guidelines on their powers and limitations.

“Are these officers allowed to pull motorists over? Under what conditions? What level of force may they use? What rights do civilians have during these encounters?” du Preez asked.

“Every South African deserves clear answers. Right now, people do not know what to expect, and that uncertainty breeds fear,” she added.

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