Man strips naked at Union Buildings in fury at government failures

He complained about load-shedding, poor service delivery and the economy.

01 June 2023 - 08:47
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The man who staged a naked protest at Union Buildings in Pretoria has been taken to a medical facility by police. File photo.
The man who staged a naked protest at Union Buildings in Pretoria has been taken to a medical facility by police. File photo.
Image: Gareth Wilson

A man who staged a naked protest at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday has been taken to hospital for a medical examination.

Gauteng police spokesperson Col Mavela Masondo said police were called to the scene after the man was allegedly seen vandalising the statue of former president Nelson Mandela at the Union Buildings. 

Masondo could not immediately confirm if the statue was damaged. 

Officers took the man to a nearby hospital to be examined, he said. 

The incident was captured on video and has gone viral on social media. 

In the first part, the naked man is seen walking around Mandela's statue holding what looks like a stick.

Sello Machete, one of the people who recorded the incident, told TimesLIVE the man was protesting over several issues. 

“He was complaining about load-shedding and blaming President Cyril Ramaphosa for the country's current poor state of service delivery. He also complained about the economy. He was really furious,” Machete said.

TimesLIVE

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