Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga has urged businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama to hand himself over to police after a video showed him allegedly threatening to shoot women at a Sandton restaurant.
The call came as pressure mounted on Mudzinganyama following the confrontation at Vlamo Restaurant at Sandton Gate. The incident has triggered a police investigation, two government investigations into Mudzinganyama and his businesses, and growing scrutiny of his commercial interests.
In the video, Mudzinganyama is seen confronting a group of women in the ladies’ restroom after an apparent disagreement. He allegedly threatens to “put a bullet in all of you” and tells the women that his wealth would protect him from consequences.
At another point, he is heard saying:
“I’ll murder you now and walk,” he says.
The footage spread widely on social media over the weekend, prompting calls for authorities to intervene. It also emerged as South Africa was still dealing with public fear and anger after the deaths of nine women in Ekurhuleni over the preceding two months.
Chikunga said the government’s inter-ministerial committee had called on Mudzinganyama to report to the police without delay. She said an apology did not remove the need for the businessman to answer to the law.
“The inter-ministerial committee is calling on the suspect to hand himself over to the nearest police station as a matter of urgency. However, the law will find him no matter how rich he is,” Chikunga said.
She added that Mudzinganyama must still face the consequences of the alleged conduct.
“He must face the music,” she said.
Mudzinganyama has since issued an apology as the pressure intensified, including demands on social media for action against him. In his statement, he apologised to the women involved and acknowledged that the language captured in the video was unacceptable.
“I apologise unreservedly to the women involved … The aggressive and threatening language I used was unacceptable and unjustifiable, regardless of the circumstances that led to the disagreement.”
The apology does not end the police investigation. Mudzinganyama is facing an intimidation case connected to the incident, and investigators will need to obtain statements from the women, restaurant staff and other witnesses.
The video is also expected to form part of the evidence. Police may examine exactly what was said, where the confrontation took place, whether the women felt threatened and whether any weapon was present or accessible. No firearm is shown in the footage supplied, but the alleged references to bullets have been treated seriously by authorities.
Vlamo Restaurant confirmed after the confrontation that Mudzinganyama was not associated with the establishment and had been escorted from the property after staff were alerted. The restaurant has said it has zero tolerance for behaviour that compromises the safety or experience of guests and staff.
The incident has now spread beyond the restaurant and into Mudzinganyama’s business affairs. Steyn City Properties has reportedly terminated his lease, while Transport Minister Barbara Creecy instructed the board of the South African National Roads Agency Limited to investigate the appointment of Moriel Infrastructure Group.
Mudzinganyama served as executive chairman and a director of Moriel Infrastructure Group. The government investigation will examine the company’s appointment and the circumstances surrounding its involvement with the roads agency.
The Moriel Infrastructure Group has also ended its association with Mudzinganyama. The company confirmed that he no longer held his previous positions and would not represent the business.
“Mr Mudzinganyama has been removed from both positions. He will no longer represent, speak for or act on behalf of Moriel Infrastructure Group in any capacity,” the company said.
The commercial consequences follow the circulation of the video and the public reaction to the alleged threats. Government has indicated that the investigations into Mudzinganyama and his businesses are separate from the intimidation case, although the developments have unfolded at the same time.
The police case will determine whether the alleged conduct amounts to a criminal offence and whether the available evidence supports a prosecution. Mudzinganyama remains entitled to due process, and any charge must be proven in court.
The government’s response has been influenced by the wider national climate surrounding violence against women. Nine women have been found dead in different parts of Ekurhuleni over two months, although police have not confirmed that one serial killer is responsible for those deaths.
Those cases have led to heightened anxiety among women and calls for stronger action against threats, harassment, intimidation and gender-based violence. The Vlamo footage has drawn attention because it appears to show a man threatening women after an argument in a public venue.
Chikunga’s demand that Mudzinganyama surrender is also a message about accountability. Her statement makes clear that wealth, business connections or public influence should not prevent a person from being investigated when allegations of threatening conduct are made.
The women involved have not been named publicly. They were reportedly approached by Mudzinganyama after his advances were rejected, and the confrontation continued as one of them recorded the incident. The recording allowed the public to hear the words allegedly used, but investigators will still need to gather the full context and take formal statements.
The restaurant’s response, Mudzinganyama’s apology and Moriel’s decision to remove him have all followed the release of the video. However, none of those developments replaces the criminal investigation.
Police are expected to establish whether Mudzinganyama has reported to a station, whether he has been formally charged and when he will appear in court. The government investigations will also need to establish whether any business decisions or appointments connected to him complied with the required rules.
For now, the video has led to an intimidation case, a ministerial call for surrender, the termination of a business relationship and questions about a roads-agency appointment. Mudzinganyama’s apology has acknowledged the seriousness of his language, but Chikunga’s message is that he must still answer to the law.
