The Special Task Force has finally rescued the Minister of Defence Forces Thandi Modise and other ministers after being held hostage disgruntled military veterans on Thursday.
The Special Task Force stormed the St George’s Conference Centre in Irene, Pretoria, on Thursday evening.
The elite unit, assisted by the military police and police, swooped in after the group blocked them from leaving a meeting meant to discuss their demands for government assistance.
Police spokesperson Brigidier Vish Naidoo said 56 people were arrested and three were injured.
“We got reports at approximately 19:15 this evening whereby we were informed of a possible hostage situation at a hotel in Centurion, Pretoria. We deployed our various disciplines of the SAPS and when attempts to negotiate with the hostage takers had failed, we successfully penetrated the room where these people were kept hostage and we rescued three hostages. Of the three hostages, two of them were cabinet ministers and one a deputy minister,” he said
