Leon Schuster Reveals AWB Prank Nearly Cost Him His Life: "I nearly died that day"

• Leon Schuster opened up about the most frightening prank of his career, which involved the far-right AWB in Ventersdorp in 1997
• The veteran entertainer, now 75, described how the stunt from his Panic Mechanic film turned dangerous very quickly
• During the same interview with SABC's Leanne Manas, Schuster pulled an unexpected prank on the host herself

Leon Schuster has built a career on making South Africans laugh, but one prank from the 1990s came close to ending far more than just a segment. The 75-year-old filmmaker and entertainer recently sat down with SABC's Leanne Manas and revealed that a fake tollgate stunt he pulled in Ventersdorp in 1997 was the closest he has ever come to losing his life.

The AWB prank that went too far

For his 1997 candid camera film Panic Mechanic, Schuster disguised himself as a black security guard and set up a fake tollgate, where he demanded passing drivers pay a R50 fee described as being for "reconciliation and development." The location was no accident — Ventersdorp was the home turf of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB), the far-right movement led by Eugène Terre'Blanche.

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The reaction from those he stopped was immediate and terrifying. "Those okes are far, far right. They drive in their bakkies with their guns on the seat next to them; they will fire! They got so pissed off. I nearly died that day," Schuster told Manas. He went on to say he was threatened with an AK47 and physically assaulted by several of the men he pranked.

Despite the brush with danger, Schuster remains unapologetic about his craft, insisting his intentions have never been malicious. "I'm a prankster, and I'll die a prankster. It's all part of the culture of this land," he said.

Watch the prank that nearly cost Leon his life below:

Schuster pranks Manas

The interview took an unexpected turn when Manas, who was speaking with Schuster at his home, asked whether any of his career portrayals had warranted an apology to those who may have felt hurt by them. It was a pointed question, and Schuster did not take it lightly — or so it seemed.

"That is a bit of a sensitive question, and I don't want to answer that because you've confronted me now and it p*sses me off and I thought we could get along. Don't ask me about stuff like that, please. Don't do that, just don't do that again. I'll walk out of this interview in a minute. You don't do that to me. Not in my own house," he told a visibly caught-off-guard Manas.

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The Morning Live host had unknowingly become the latest subject of a Schuster prank, proving that even after decades in the industry, the veteran entertainer has not lost his touch.

He later hugged Manas after pulling the prank.

Leon scores major Netflix deal

In a previous report from Briefly News, Leon Schuster's upcoming project is a result of a major collaboration with streaming giant Netflix.

He got candid about his health challenges; however, the legendary filmmaker and prankster took on the opportunity to make an epic comeback.

Source: Briefly News