A South African Air Force (SAAF) sergeant has been shot dead by two bodyguards attached to the mayor of Madibeng Local Municipality, after being allegedly stopped by an unmarked vehicle on Friday 30 January.
The 36-year-old Sergeant Michael Swanton was apparently stopped on the Mabopane main road within Madibeng Local Municipality by an unmarked BMW X3 fitted with a single blue light. The bodyguards involved were attached to the mayor of Madibeng Local Municipality, Douglas Maimane, and reports indicate that the vehicle had no clear official markings, while armed bodyguards dressed in civilian clothing confronted him.
News reports indicate the X3 stopped the Ford Figo Swanton and his wife were travelling in because the vehicle had no rear number plate. After the bodyguards returned to their vehicle, Swanton apparently approached them to ask for official identification. He was then allegedly shot in the head.
Gauteng police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said a murder investigation has been opened. “Two suspects have since handed themselves in to the police, and they are expected to appear before Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 2 February 2026, on a charge of murder and defeating the ends of justice,” said Nevhuhulwi. The bodyguards apparently handed themselves in after dropping Maimane at home.
Democratic Alliance DA Spokesperson on Police Lisa Schickerling said the incident raises serious questions about conduct, identification procedures, and the rules governing VIP protection operations.
“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,” she said in a statement.
“This culture of impunity is not isolated. South Africans will recall how members of a blue light convoy attached to the Deputy President were filmed assaulting a civilian motorist on a public highway, illustrating a broader pattern of abuse, lawlessness, and disregard for human life among certain VIP protection units.
“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 is calling for a swift, transparent investigation and for those responsible to face the full consequences of the law as well as an urgent review of VIP protection policies.
Swanton leaves behind a wife and two young children. A memorial service is scheduled to take place at SAAF Mobile Deployment Wing (Air Force Base Swartkop) on Wednesday 4 February.
