Kaya 959 News
Disgruntled military veterans on Thursday night allegedly held ministers Thandi Modise and Mondli Gungubele hostage at the St George’s Hotel, forcing police and security forces to intervene.
The groups of 56 veterans was made up of Liberation Struggle War Veterans (LSWV), comprised of members of various armed groups that fought apartheid, including Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (Apla) and Azanian National Liberation Army (Azanla).
Speaking to media at the hotel, SAPS spokesperson Brig Vish Naidoo confirmed that police had “penetrated the room where the hostages were being held”, and that no shots were fired.
In a statement issued at 11.30pm, Naidoo said:
“At approximately 7.15pm police received a report of a possible hostage situation in which two cabinet ministers and a deputy minister were allegedly taken hostage. After attempts to negotiate with the hostage takers to release the hostages had failed, police resorted to a tactical approach and successfully rescued the hostages. There were no shots fired during the rescue.”
He confirmed that 56 people were arrested and “they are likely to face charges of at least three counts of kidnapping”.
MK military veteran Lwazi Mzobe spoke to Newsroom Afrika and said that the former soldiers had immediate demands, such as reparations R4.2-million each amongst other things.
[WATCH] MK Military Veteran, Lwazi Mzobe explains why the war veterans are disgruntled.
Link: https://t.co/DwRc74uoRv
Tune into #Newzroom405 now for more details. pic.twitter.com/GfVJ49Daf8
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 14, 2021



