The Hawks swooped on Mandeni mayor Sphesihle Zulu's three bodyguards while he was in his car near a Durban golf club on Tuesday afternoon.
The bodyguards - Silence Mkwakwa, Khayalihle Mzila and Lucas Mthembu - were arrested and charged with unlawful possession of firearms.
Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said the bodyguards were employed by the same private security company as the two men who featured in a video that went viral of them brandishing firearms. The two men were assigned to the security detail of ANC eThekwini regional secretary Bheki Ntuli.
Mkwakwa has been part of the northern KwaZulu-Natal mayor's security detail for three months.
On Wednesday the trio, who were in police custody, appeared before magistrate Mohamed Motala in the Durban Magistrate's Court.