Hostage drama at Adderley street

By Tando Mfengwana
19 April 2007

Parts of Adderley Street in Cape Town were cordoned off, as a hostage drama unfolded in the offices of the Human Rights Commission on Thursday.

Eyewitnesses said the man, about 50-years-old, had taken hostage a top official at the HRC offices in the ABSA building.

Ebrahim Ajaam of SA Law School, which is above the 7th floor, said “an elderly guy came in with a short gun to the Human Rights Commission, he had some gripe with them and he held the manager on the inside, there were shorts fired inside.”

It is believed that there was a dispute about pension.

Jacqueline Christenson also from SA Law School said they were “on the lift when we heard shots being fired.”

“He was there last week and he went there today, they sent him from one floor to another and then he came back with a short-gun.”

Imran Raas said, “we were down stairs and I heard people talking about a hostage drama on the seventh floor, so I went up to take a look. When I got there, a guy came up with a gun and he told me to go away.”

No one was hurt during the incident and police managed to take the suspect into custody.