CAPE TOWN, 16 October 2021, (TON): South African police said “they have arrested 56 people who will likely face charges of kidnapping after two government Cabinet ministers and a deputy minister.”

The ministers were held hostage for three hours when a meeting with military veterans of the fight against apartheid ended in disagreement.

Police were called to a hotel in the Centurion area near the capital Pretoria night to rescue Defense and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise, her deputy minister Thabang Makwetla, and Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele, who had been meeting with veterans of various groups that were part of the armed struggle which started in the 1960s against the apartheid regime in South Africa.

Gungubele said “the meeting broke down quickly and the three government officials were prevented from leaving the room by some of the veterans.”

The South African Police Services said “police tried to negotiate with the hostage-takers and when that failed they “resorted to a tactical approach and successfully rescued the hostages.”

Police said “no shots were fired in the operation, denying allegations by some veterans that they were shot at. Three of the people who were arrested were sent for medical checkups, police said. Of the 56 arrested, seven were women.”