A South African policeman guarding former South African President Nelson Mandela's home shot and killed himself Saturday, police said. A police sergeant working for the police VIP unit killed himself outside Nelson Mandela's Johannesburg home. A police sergeant working for the police VIP unit killed himself outside Nelson Mandela's Johannesburg home. The police sergeant, who was working for the police VIP unit, killed himself while on duty at the guard house outside Mandela's Johannesburg home, National Police spokeswoman Sally de Beer said.