JMPD alerted of threats to disrupt Winnie's funeral procession

The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) on Thursday said it was on high alert after receiving reports of threats to disrupt the funeral procession of struggle stalwart‚ Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

"We got information that there is a group of people from Diepsloot who said they want to disrupt the procession because they didn't get salaries‚" said JMPD's chief superintendant Wayne Minnaar.

He could not immediately say what company these people worked for.

Minnaar said they were not worried about these threats.

"We have a lot of officers who are on duty. We also have soldiers who are on duty so there is no way that [the disruptions] will happen‚" Minnaar said.

Eighty-one year old Madikizela-Mandela died last Monday at the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.

She had been in and out of hospital since the beginning of the year.

Her body is expected to be transported from the funeral parlour to her home in Orlando‚ Soweto this afternoon.

A two-hour service is expected to be held at her home for close friends and family on Saturday before the main service at the Orlando Stadium close to her home.

She will be laid to rest in Fourways Memorial Park.

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