An alleged kidnapping of MP Vusi Shongwe prompts MK party to demand urgent protection for its committee members.
The uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party has urged parliament to act after member Vusi Shongwe was allegedly kidnapped and threatened during a late-night attack this week.
The party’s chief whip, Colleen Makhubele, has written to the speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, about urgent security and safety concerns regarding MK party members of parliament (MPs).
These concerns relate to the ad hoc Committee established to investigate allegations made by the South African Police Service KwaZulu-Natal provincial head Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
MP Vusi Shongwe allegedly kidnapped and threatened
According to the party, someone allegedly kidnapped MP Shongwe — an alternate member of the committee — and another person on Wednesday night, 26 November.
They were travelling in his car when the incident occurred.
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“During this incident, the kidnappers confiscated all three of his phones, issued threats, and coerced him into paying a substantial sum of money,” Makhubele wrote to Didiza.
She added that she opened a case at Thembisa Police Station and that investigators are currently handling the matter.
The chief whip said the incident demonstrates the need to implement enhanced security measures. These measures aim to ensure the safety and well-being of all members of the ad hoc committee.
Security and safety concerns
MPs raised security and safety concerns during the chief whips’ forum when they discussed the ad hoc committee’s extension.
Makhubele said further delays or failure to address these threats endangers MK’s members. She added that this also exposes parliament to potential legal and financial consequences.
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She has asked Didiza’s office to provide a written response. The response should detail the measures it will urgently implement to address these security concerns.
“The MK party remains steadfast in its commitment to the safety and well-being of our members of parliament serving the people of South Africa in the ad hoc committee,” the chief whip wrote.
“We believe that this commitment should not be compromised by budgetary constraints, as the risks involved should have been anticipated.”
Hijacking and kidnapping case opened
Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed that police have opened a hijacking and kidnapping case.
“No arrest has been made yet, and investigation is underway,” she said.
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