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The ANC Women’s League is outraged by widely circulated video footage showing a Zimbabwean national and self-proclaimed businessman allegedly directing vulgar remarks and violent death threats at a group of women in a restaurant in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The Zimbabwean national, reliably identified as Lawrence Mudzinganyama, is a businessman reportedly residing in the affluent Johannesburg suburb of Steyn City. He is alleged to have made advances towards a woman at a restaurant, after which a confrontation and death threats ensued when she rejected him. In the footage, the businessman is heard making remarks about his wealth, telling the women that he was “too wealthy” for them and demanding respect during a heated exchange. He further threatened to put a bullet in all of these women.

The ANC Women’s League is outraged by this incident, particularly at a time when our country is confronting unprecedented levels of violence against women. Such repulsive behaviour cannot be tolerated and we impress upon the relevant authorities to verify his residency status.

We welcome his arrest and call for his lawful detention pending the prompt conclusion of the case. Authorities must also verify his immigration status and, where warranted, revoke his permit and deport him in accordance with the law. We further call on state institutions to thoroughly investigate how he accumulated his selfproclaimed wealth.

Our country is bleeding with a woman killed on a daily basis, and this kind of behaviour calls for drastic action and the ANC Women’s League demands full accountability. 

Issued by ANCWL Secretary-General Nokuthula Nqaba