South Africa arrests 56 for taking Cabinet ministers hostage

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South African constabulary said Friday they person arrested 56 radical who volition apt look charges of kidnapping aft 2 authorities Cabinet ministers and a lawman curate were held hostage for 3 hours erstwhile a gathering with subject veterans of the combat against apartheid ended successful disagreement.

Police were called to a edifice successful the Centurion country adjacent the superior Pretoria connected Thursday nighttime to rescue Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise, her lawman curate Thabang Makwetla, and Minister successful the Presidency Mondli Gungubele, who had been gathering with veterans of assorted groups that were portion of the equipped conflict which started successful the 1960s against the apartheid authorities successful South Africa.

The gathering broke down rapidly and the 3 authorities officials were prevented from leaving the country by immoderate of the veterans, Gungubele said.

Police tried to negociate with the hostage-takers and erstwhile that failed they “resorted to a tactical attack and successfully rescued the hostages,” the South African Police Services said. Police said nary shots were fired successful the operation, denying allegations by immoderate veterans that they were changeable at. Three of the radical who were arrested were sent for aesculapian checkups, constabulary said. Of the 56 arrested, 7 were women.

Gungubele said the gathering was an effort to code the grievances of the veterans’ groups, who want, among different things, currency payouts and lodging and aesculapian benefits for their work during the combat for ideology successful South Africa much than 25 years ago.

The veterans’ latest request is that they should each beryllium paid the equivalent of $270,000 and person different benefits. The gathering was called disconnected astir arsenic soon arsenic it started, Gungubele said.

“As we were leaving the meeting, proceeding to the doors, they (the veterans) closed the doors,” helium said. “It is astatine that constituent erstwhile we realized that we’re held hostage. It’s a concern that was averted by the information forces, precise efficaciously and successfully.”

In a statement, the South African authorities conceded its discussions with the veterans’ groups had been “difficult” but “there was nary crushed for this radical to enactment successful an unlawful manner.”

The subject veterans’ groups accidental they’ve been ignored by the ruling African National Congress enactment successful South Africa contempt their relation successful helping to overthrow the apartheid authorities and extremity achromatic number rule, paving the mode for the ANC to triumph the archetypal antiauthoritarian elections successful 1994. The ANC has been successful authorities since then.

But the veterans’ groups person faced disapproval themselves, for allegedly being infiltrated by immoderate who were not progressive successful the combat for ideology and for demanding rewards not disposable to mean South Africans who besides fought against apartheid.

Numerous callers to a vigor speech amusement connected Friday said that it was fashionable uprisings similar the Sharpeville protests of 1960 and the Soweto pupil demonstrations of 1976 that focused the world’s attraction connected the brutalities of the apartheid strategy and helped extremity it. They said it was often mean men, women and adjacent children who defied information forces and enactment themselves successful deadly information to protest.