The 53 accused face 27 charges which include one count of conspiracy to kidnap and twenty-six charges of kidnapping as there were 26 people in the meeting room, including ministers Mondli Gungubele and Thandi Modise as well as Deputy Minister Thabang Makwetla.
Fifty-three former combatants face kidnapping charges, among others, after Ministers Thandi Modise, Mondli Gungubele and Deputy Minister Thabang Makwetla were barred from leaving the Saint George’s Hotel in Irene last Thursday.
The military veterans involved in the hostage situation on 14 October 2021 appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates Court.
Fifty-two suspects have appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates Court sitting at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility.
The military veterans appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Monday sitting at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility for bail application.
The Defence minister said the hostage incident was not an embarrassment but rather demonstrated that South Africa is a not security state and ministers trust South African enough to meet with them.
The Right2Know Campaign said government’s “go-slow” on the investigation and criminal prosecutions of those responsible for July unrest paved the way for the ministers’ hostage drama.
Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele, Defence Minister Thandi Modise and her deputy Thabang Makwetla were involved in a tense hostage situation when a group of military veterans prevented them from leaving after a meeting.
Scores of law enforcement officials swarmed the St George's Conference Centre in Irene after a meeting between military veterans and the defence minister turned into a hostile standoff.
Minister in the Presidency, Mr Mondli Gungubele gave an account of what happened at St George's Hotel on the evening of 14 October 2021, during a meeting between the Presidential Task Team on Matters of Military Veterans and Military Veterans.
Ministers who were in a meeting with representatives of military veterans were held hostage at St. George’s Hotel in Pretoria on 14 October 2021.
Defence Minister Thandi Modise, Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele and Deputy Minister of Defence Thabang Makwetla were held hostage after a meeting between them and the veterans broke down.
Minister Thandi Modise made her first appearance as the minister before Parliament's defence committee and vowed to get to the bottom of the procurement of the experimental drug without approval.
Members of Parliament are electing a new National Assembly Speaker after Thandi Modise was moved into President Cyril Ramaphosa's reshuffled Cabinet as the new Minister of Defence. The African National Congress has nominated Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula as its preferred candidate, while the DA nominated Annelie Lotriet.
Thandi Modise joins former social development and health committee chairs Mondli Gungubele and Sibongiseni Dhlomo, who have both been appointed deputy ministers.
Thandi Modise replaces Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who come under fire following recent unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
That’s the view of National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise, who’s made submissions in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday.
In a legal fight against Parliament and attempts to remove her, Mkhwebane argues Modise’s conduct in the impeachment process should be set aside.
