Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) leader, Pieter Groenewald says the hostage situation involving Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise, is a result of her department’s unfulfilled promises.
This was after military veterans allegedly held Modise, her Deputy Thabang Makwetla and Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele hostage at a hotel in Irene, Pretoria, on Thursday night.
The military veterans are believed to have been from the African National Congress (ANC) military wing uMkhonto we Sizwe, the Pan Africanist Congress’s (PAC) Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA) and Azanian People’s Organisation’s (AZAPO) Azanian National Liberation Army (AZANLA).
The group had marched to the ANC’s headquarters, Luthuli House in Johannesburg earlier this week. Groenewald says government is to blame for what happened to the Ministers.
“The hostage drama around the Minister for Defence, her deputy and another minister by military veterans is actually the result of promises made by officials to military veterans knowing that it will not be able to be fulfilled because of financial constraints in the defence budget. It is also proof of poor communication between the officials and the military veterans. That, however, is no justification for the military veterans to take these people as hostages and an example must be made from them as far as the law is concerned,” says Groenewald
Minister in the Presidency, Mr Mondli Gungubele gives an account of the incident which occurred at St George's Hotel earlier this evening during a meeting between the Presidential Task Team on Matters of Military Veterans and Military Veterans. pic.twitter.com/RYcNq5Pwbf
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) October 14, 2021
Military Veterans | Government condemns hostage drama involving ministers
Scores arrested following hostage situation
Over 50 people have been arrested following violence at the St. George’s Hotel in Irene, south of Pretoria.
The veterans blocked the entrance to the hotel as the officials attempted to leave, allegedly because the meeting wasn’t proceeding as planned.
The crowd accused Modise of not addressing their grievances.
The military veterans were protesting against the government’s failure to pay them reparations.
At least 56 people were arrested after ministers were allegedly held hostage
