WATCH | 'The dog will die': Gun-toting ANC bodyguards threaten

07 September 2017 - 15:04 By Nathi Olifant And Jeff Wicks
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Two men‚ threatening to kill a "dog" - with one of them brandishing an AK-47 - have been confirmed as the bodyguards of one of the ANC's senior leaders in KwaZulu-Natal.

The party confirmed on Thursday afternoon that the two men are part of eThekwini regional secretary Bheki Ntuli's personal protection detail.

A video of the two men seated in the front of a car shows each of them brandishing and cocking pistols‚ while the man in the driver's seat pulls out and cocks an AK-47 assault rifle.

The source of the video is not known‚ but has been circulated widely on social networking sites and was broadcast by eNCA.

The video was also sent to the Moerane Commission‚ which is currently sitting in KZN to investigate political violence in the province.

The commission secretary confirmed receiving and watching the video‚ but did not comment further.

In the video one of the men is heard saying in isiZulu‚ that "it's coming down for the dog today. The dog will die. Bitch. Arsehole".

The second man comments: “Ekse it’s going down…it’s gonna go down for real today. How’s this now?” He then pulls out and cocks his AK-47.

It is unclear who or what the men are referring to.

KZN DA leader Zwakele Mncwango‚ who has served in council since 2011 and is the party's eThekwini caucus chairman‚ also recognised the two men as Ntuli's security.

“These are Bheki Ntuli bodyguards...these guys used to work with councillors. They guard him‚” he said via WhatsApp.

KZN has been gripped by political violence‚ with at least 10 people having been killed this year alone. Most recently‚ former ANCYL secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa died on Monday‚ seemingly from injuries sustained when he and two colleagues from the Umzimkhulu Municipality were shot at more than a dozen times in July.

The two colleagues survived the shooting.

In a statement issued on Thursday afternoon‚ the ANC moved to distance itself from the bodyguards‚ but confirmed that they had been part of Ntuli’s protection detail.

“The ANC has been exposed to a disturbing circulating video in which the security guards of the ANC eThekwini regional comrade Bheki Ntuli are displaying firearms and an AK47. The African National Congress strongly denounces and distances itself from this irresponsible display of weapons‚ irrespective of the purpose for which it was done‚” the statement said.

The ANC called for the security company to take action against the gun-toting pair.

On the sidelines of an ANC provincial press briefing on Thursday morning - coincidentally called to deal with a spate of political killings in KZN‚ in which 10 people have died this year alone - provincial secretary Super Zuma said he did not recognise the men in the video.

Initially he said he had not seen the video‚ which was then shown to him by journalists at the briefing. He also asked for the video to be sent to him to investigate.

After watching the clip‚ Zuma appeared seriously disturbed. He frowned through the video.

"It’s a serious matter which we will investigate and contact police if necessary. But I do not know them and I don’t know all the bodyguards by face‚” he said.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now