Case withdrawn against military vets charged after ministers 'held hostage'

The state has withdrawn the case against 53 military veterans who were arrested for allegedly holding cabinet ministers hostage in October last year.

The matter resumed on Tuesday at the Pretoria magistrate's court after it was postponed for a prosecution decision from the director of public prosecutions (DPP). The arrested veterans were facing  27 charges: one count of conspiracy to kidnap and 26 counts of kidnapping.

At the time, the state had said, it was considering adding terrorism-related charges.

TimesLIVE previously reported that defence minister Thandi Modise, her deputy Thabang Makwetla and minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele were allegedly prevented from leaving a meeting at a hotel in Tshwane.

Police intervened after veterans blocked exits and refused to allow the three to leave.

It was alleged the group stormed into the Saint George Hotel, where they closed entrances and barricaded doors with chairs, telling the ministerial delegation that no-one could leave until the president or deputy president had addressed their issues.

According to the Sunday Times, their demands included the payment of R4.2m to each of 9,000 veterans at a total cost of more than R37bn.

The police initially arrested 56 people, three of whom were released as they were identified as staff members of the hotel where the meeting was held.

All 53 arrested veterans were released on bail.

TimesLIVE reported that one of the 53 accused military veterans has died after being in and out of a coma in different hospitals.

TimesLIVE

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