SA not a heavy security country – defence minister after hostage drama

Defence Minister, Thandi Modise, has said her being held hostage with two other senior government officials by an unrecognised group of military veterans showed that South Africa “was not heavy on security”.

The drama unfolded at a Tshwane hotel on Thursday evening.

Modise and her deputy Thabang Makwetla, and Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, had to be rescued by police after they were allegedly held hostage on Thursday evening.

After securing the ministers’ freedom, police arrested 56 people.

Earlier the disgruntled group had locked the hotel doors demanding that the government officials call on president Cyril Ramaphosa and deputy president David Mabuza, to address them and refused to continue the meeting without them.

The group’s long-standing grievances included that they were not provided houses and support, despite resources channeled for former liberation struggles forces.

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Modise said the government was not embarrassed by the incident nor did it suggest that the country’s security was weak.

“I think it demonstrates that South Africa is not a security heavy state and that ministers still trust fellow citizens to sit around with them. It also demonstrates that we will go anywhere to hear concerns of any citizens whether they are military veterans or ordinary citizens.”

Modise said the meeting with the group was not planned but they attended after being asked by the presidential task team on military veterans chaired by Mabuza.

She said this group was not formally recognised as military veterans and the government was still awaiting for their applications to go through vetting process to be formally recognised and access the military veteran’s welfare such as housing.

“I am sure that people will think that the state is weak and I do not think so – we should say that we are proud as South Africa to engage, to sit among our communities and among our military veterans without thinking they would kill us,” she said.

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Modise said they did not feel their lives were in danger during the hostage situation, “there was no blood and no one touched us.”

She said she had no intention to propose increased security following the incident.

“I do not think that the state should be dreaming about increased state security, to me this is a big no.”

Modise said their security were present at the meeting and ensured they were safe.

“They needed to assess the situation and choose the best possible reaction to the situation and that was to ensure everyone remains calm.”

On claims by the group that they had not been provided houses and support despite resources channeled to the department of military veterans, Modise said she would investigate where the money and resources of the military veterans went and if it went to the right hands. She said although they were unharmed they will not drop charges against 56 people arrested.

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Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, described the hostage situation as “unacceptable”.

“We do not always go to those meetings with suspicion and we were not meeting those people for the first time and they have not done this before so we had no basis to suspect that they were going to do what they did last night.

“If we were embarrassed because we trusted our people, maybe this is a consequence we have to live with but of course going forward we will be more alert.”

WATCH: Defence Minister saying that SA not a heavy security country after hostage drama

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