Hawks arrest Mandeni mayor's bodyguards
20 September 2017
Durban – The Hawks have arrested three bodyguards for Mandeni mayor Siphesihle Basil Zulu for unlawful possession of firearms, Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said on Wednesday.
They are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
He said they were employed by the same security company as the two bodyguards for ANC eThekwini regional secretary Bheki Ntuli, who were fired for showing off their guns in a video.
That video, which went viral on social media two weeks ago, shows two men brandishing guns and bragging that they would kill someone.
In the video, they can be heard saying: "That dog is going to die," while waving 9mm pistols and an AK-47 at the camera. Mbalula said he needed answers from the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) on the action that it was going to take against the security company.
"I have engaged with PSIRA who are the custodian of security companies in our country - surely we can’t have security companies who have employees who are the law onto themselves," he said.
Four pistols, one rifle and live rounds of ammunition were seized from the three bodyguards.
The firearms would be sent for ballistic testing to establish if they had been used to commit any crimes.
"People must understand that guns have caused many heartache in many families and brandishing of guns cannot be tolerated. I sincerely hope that people will desist showing off their guns and endangering society."
