The convoy of KwaZulu-Natal's Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) premiership candidate was stopped on the side of the road and its blue light vehicle was seized by police and EThekwini metro police officers.
Thami Ntuli, who is also the mayor of King Chetswayo District Council on KwaZulu-Natal's north coast, said the move appeared to be aimed at disrupting his campaign.
IFP said the provincial chairman's convoy was forcibly stopped by heavily armed police and eThekwini metro officers. Ntuli was on his way home from Durban.
His party said Ntuli's bags were searched and his bodyguards were disarmed.
The party said they found nothing illegal or objectionable about Mr Ntuli and he was forced to drive home himself.
The party said it viewed this as political bullying that put the life of its prime ministerial candidate at risk. Police said Ntuli's two-car convoy was impounded because he was not authorized to drive on blue lights.
KZN Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netosiunda said: “Anyone who drives a vehicle equipped with blue lights without any authority, whether that person is a police officer, traffic officer or local authority He is neither a police officer nor a member of the defense force.'' Forced people to be allowed to drive cars with blue lights on is against the law. And when the police stopped the car, it didn't matter who the person was because they didn't know who was driving the car. ”
ignore the law
This is not Ntuli's first run-in with the law. In 2020, Ntuli, then mayor of Nkandla, was arrested for allegedly violating the Disaster Management Act regarding lockdown regulations banning public gatherings.
Charges against him were later dropped.
Mr Ntuli said the recent incidents appeared to be a political plot by the party's opponents to disrupt the election campaign.
“For me, this incident was planned for my campaign as a candidate for prime minister and put my life at risk, because when they're doing everything they're supposed to do, that corner Because it was dark. And I didn't understand what was going to happen in the end. That's why I decided to leave alone in my private car without any protection.”
Police announced that they had begun an investigation. Ntuli's vehicle has not yet been returned.