Ministers Claim Hostage Drama Was a Positive Sign That Democracy Is Alive in South Africa

• Mondli Gungubele and Thandi Modise have come forward to say that the hostage drama they were a part of was not a bad thing
• They said that the fact that ordinary citizens could interact with government ministers showed that democracy was maturing in South Africa
• Gungubele said that the incident was unacceptable but not an embarrassment for the country

In a stunning piece of media spin, ministers have hailed the hostage drama that recently took place as a positive sign that South Africa's democracy is maturing.

Two ministers were taken hostage for three hours by disgruntled ANC military veterans.

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele and Defence Minister Thandi Modise were eventually released.

Modise said that the fact that the military veterans were able to get so close was a good sign that South Africa was not a "police state" and ordinary citizens could interact with ministers according to News24.

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Military veteran says ministers provoked them, set up a trap that led to arrest

Gungubele made it clear that the situation was unacceptable but not necessarily an embarrassment for the country.

Meeting goes wrong: 56 Military vets arrested for allegedly holding ministers hostage

Earlier, Briefly News reported that a total of 56 military veterans who are part of the Liberation Struggle War Veterans (LSWV) were apprehended by the South African Police Services after they allegedly held two ministers and a deputy minister against their will on Thursday night.

Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise, Deputy Minister of Defence Thabang Makwetla and Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele were in a meeting with military veterans who fought during the apartheid era.

The talks between the ministers and LSWV seemingly did not go as planned as members of LSWV refused to let the ministers leave the St George's Hotel in Tshwane.

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Charges against 56 military veterans will not be dropped, says Defence Minister Thandi Modise

Military veteran says ministers provoked them, set up a trap that led to arrest

Members of the Liberation Struggle War Veterans believe that the meeting where they held ministers and a deputy forcefully against their will was a trap set up for them.

56 of the ex-combatants were apprehended after the Special Task Force rescued Minister of Defence Thandi Modise and her deputy Thabang Makwetla as well as Mondli Gungubele, Minister in the Presidency from the ordeal at St George's Hotel in Tshwane.

One of the people who escaped being arrested Ntando Shezi claims the ministers have had an agenda to arrest them since they began occupying Luthuli House, the head office of the African National Congress, according to The Witness.

Source: Briefly News