Ngizwe Mchunu says security fired AK-47 after EFF confrontation – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader.

Festival organiser Ngizwe Mchunu says a member of his security team fired an AK-47 assault rifle into the air after noticing firearms among an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) group in Inanda, north of Durban.

Police had to intervene after the confrontation ensued and shots were fired.

Mchunu says they were inspecting the venue where he will host a music event on Saturday when they were confronted by a group of EFF supporters.

He has organised a musical event near the venue where the EFF is to hold its provincial manifesto launch on the same day.

EFF leader Julius Malema and Mchunu have been engaged in a long-standing feud that has ended in the courts.

“My security guards were watching the group, not knowing whether they were excited to see me or not. But when they saw them taking out firearms and firing shots, the guys who were with me then responded. One of my guards came out with an AK-47. When they tried to fire shots, he then fired first, and the crowd dispersed.”

Meanwhile, the EFF leadership in the province has vowed that the manifesto launch will go ahead despite Friday’s incident.

EFF Provincial Leader Mongezi Twala has accused Mchunu of trying to provoke the party by staging his event close to their rally.

“We are going to stage our programme tomorrow. There’s no Ngizwe that is going to stop us from having any political programme. We are campaigning now. He went to a point where he removed our posters. We have our members assaulted by Ngizwe and his thugs. We are here at the police station to open a case against Ngizwe, his security and his thugs. We are also worried about the conduct of the police, how they conducted this issue today.”