Key players in unrest singing like canaries

Johannesburg – The key role players arrested for the recent unrest, during which more than 330 people died, are singing like canaries, implicating senior leaders in the ANC.

Sunday World understands police were closing in on the masterminds of the violence, which swept through Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, leaving in its wake billions of rands in losses due to the mass looting of malls and other properties.

While President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet ministers publicly disagreed on whether the unrest constituted an insurrection, as regarded by Ramaphosa, or counter-revolution, police are gathering footage of where the plot was hedged and where senior ANC leaders allegedly handed cash over to those who were at the forefront of the chaos.


The government’s strategy has been to first arrest the people who were doing the running on the ground before apprehending the masterminds.

“Police have videos of senior politicians distributing cash to people,” a source close to the investigations said.

The insider said the leaders were so reckless and arrogant that they met and handed bags of money at restaurants and other places where it was easy to access footage.

“The arrested people have been testifying about how the whole thing was happening. The masterminds will be arrested. You don’t want to cause havoc by starting by arresting senior political leaders without a solid case,” he said.

Ngizwe Mchunu no stranger to controversy

One of the suspects behind the recent unrest, Ngizwe Mchunu, is a former SABC radio and TV host turned maskandi music promoter.


Mchunu is no stranger to controversy.

The man, who hails from eMabhuqwini village in northern Kwa- Zulu-Natal, is regarded as a fierce Zulu nationalist and a traditionalist.

These attributes coupled with his wit saw him being head-hunted by Ukhozi FM.

His popularity was not without controversy though as in 2017 he was sacked on charges of bringing the station in disrepute.

former Ukhozi FM radio host, Ngizwenkosi Mchunu. Image: Sandile Motha.former Ukhozi FM radio host, Ngizwenkosi Mchunu. Image: Sandile Motha.
former Ukhozi FM radio host, Ngizwenkosi Mchunu. Image: Sandile Motha.

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