Eight South African police officers allegedly implicated in the assault of civilians on the side of a Johannesburg motorway have been suspended.

Earlier this month, the officers attached to the VIP protection unit, assigned to protect Deputy President Paul Mashatile, were filmed dragging the civilian-clothed, military trainees out of their vehicle and beating them.

One of the men was left unconscious after a kick in the head. It's still unclear what sparked the attack.

The video caused outrage in a country where questions have been raised about why the country’s political elite need such protection when ordinary South Africans bear the brunt of crime.

Deputy President Mashatile, who said he wasn’t present at the time of the incident, condemned what he described as the “unnecessary use of force against unarmed civilians”.

The police’s spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the officers would be subjected to disciplinary procedures and said that her department would not discuss the matter further.