Zimbabwean businessman who threatened to shoot three women after they rejected him arrested
JOHANNESBURG — Zimbabwean-born businessman Lawrence Chamurwa Mudzinganyama has been arrested after a video showed him threatening to shoot three women at an upmarket Sandton restaurant when they rejected his advances.
Mudzinganyama, a businessman and socialite who serves as executive chairman and director of engineering and construction company Moriel Infrastructure Group, was arrested on Sunday following the confrontation at Vlamo restaurant at Sandton Gate. He was released on warning and is due to appear before the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on 1 October.
The incident happened on Friday, 18 September, after the women went to the restaurant’s powder room. Mudzinganyama followed them inside and confronted them after they told him he was not allowed to enter. The exchange was recorded on a mobile phone and later spread rapidly across social media.
In the footage, the women continued filming as Mudzinganyama objected to the way they had rejected him. He told them they should have said no “in a nice, respectful way” before escalating the confrontation into threats of murder.
“You can say ‘no’ in a nice, respectful way,” he told them.
When he realised that the women were recording him, he dismissed their phones and the possibility that the footage could be used against him.
“Recording is nothing,” he said. “I could put a bullet in you now. I do not play. I will murder you now and walk.”
In another part of the recording, he was heard saying: “I’ll put a bullet in all of you!”
He also boasted about his wealth and status, telling the women: “I’m a wealthy man. You guys are poor ladies”. The video showed the women standing together while he continued to intimidate them inside the venue.
🔴A Zimbabwean businessman and socialite, Lawrence Madzinganyama, has sparked widespread public outrage in South Africa after being caught on camera threatening unarmed women after one of them rejected his unwanted sexual advances at the newly-opened Vlamo Restaurant in Sandton,… pic.twitter.com/EPpeZOqvln
— TheNewsHawks (@NewsHawksLive) September 19, 2026
Restaurant staff intervened after management became aware of the confrontation. Mudzinganyama was escorted from the premises, and the restaurant later confirmed that it had opened an intimidation case. The women also laid charges with the police.
Vlamo said Mudzinganyama was not employed by, affiliated with or associated with the restaurant, despite claims made during the confrontation suggesting a connection to the business. Management said immediate action was taken once it learnt what had happened and that it was supporting the women.
“We want to make it clear that the individual involved is not affiliated with, employed by, or associated with our restaurant in any capacity, despite claims that may have been made suggesting otherwise,” the restaurant said.
The venue added that it took the safety, dignity and wellbeing of women, guests and staff seriously and had zero tolerance for conduct that threatened anyone’s safety or experience. It also increased security at the premises and began co-operating with the police investigation.
The video triggered a wider examination of Mudzinganyama’s business interests and his position in South Africa. Moriel Infrastructure Group was awarded a R107 million contract by the South African National Roads Agency, known as Sanral. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy instructed the Sanral board to investigate whether the company had been lawfully appointed and whether it was meeting its contractual obligations.
The investigation was later widened to include concerns surrounding the company’s tenders. The Minister of Public Works, Dean Macpherson, called for scrutiny of claims that Mudzinganyama had acquired several Construction Industry Development Board gradings on the same day.
Mudzinganyama’s position at Moriel Infrastructure Group also changed after the video became public. The company said he had been removed as executive chairman and director.
Steyn City, the 900-hectare luxury residential and lifestyle estate north of Johannesburg, also announced that it was terminating his lease. In a statement to residents, the estate said it had become aware of the threatening incident, which took place off-site, and condemned intimidation and violence.
“It has come to our attention that a threatening and intimidating incident which occurred off-site on Friday and was captured on video has been reported in the media,” the statement said. “The incident is of serious concern to us. We strongly condemn any act of violence or intimidation.
“We can confirm that the individual identified in the video footage is a Steyn City tenant. His lease agreement has been terminated.”
Mudzinganyama issued a public apology on Sunday after the footage continued to circulate. He said the language he used was unacceptable and accepted responsibility for what he had said and done during the confrontation.
“I apologise unreservedly to the women involved in the recent incident at VLAMO restaurant in Sandton. The aggressive and threatening language I used was unacceptable and unjustifiable, regardless of the circumstances that led to the disagreement,” he said.
“I should have exercised restraint, removed myself from the situation and sought assistance from the restaurant’s management. I did not, and I accept responsibility for my words and conduct.”
He said he deeply regretted “the fear and distress I caused, as well as the public concern generated by the footage”. He also acknowledged the seriousness of threatening women in a country dealing with high levels of violence against women.
“I recognise the seriousness of my conduct, particularly in a country confronting unacceptable levels of violence against women. I understand the anger and alarm the incident has caused. I will cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities regarding any investigation into the incident,” he said.
Mudzinganyama said he would seek professional guidance and undertake a conflict-management programme. He promised to show accountability through sustained action and ensure that the conduct was not repeated.
The case has drawn particular attention because it emerged as South Africa faced renewed anger over the killings of women in Gauteng. Nine women’s bodies were discovered in Ekurhuleni over two months, with police investigating whether some of the deaths were connected. The bodies were found in areas including Kempton Park, Rhodesfield, Olifantsfontein, Clayville, Kwa-Thema in Springs and Dawn Park in Boksburg.
Some of the victims were found partly clothed and with visible injuries. One of them was 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, who disappeared after going for a run on 9 September. Her body was later identified by relatives. Another victim, 28-year-old Zimbabwean national Gracious Nkomo, was found along the R21 in Kempton Park. Dineo Evelyn Motapane, a 38-year-old mother, was also identified after her body was found in Kwa-Thema.
President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered government and law-enforcement agencies to give the killings the highest level of attention. A specialised multidisciplinary team was assembled to identify those responsible, while police increased their presence in the affected areas.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide condemned the Sandton incident and called on Mudzinganyama to hand himself over to police. The committee said threats against women must be reported and taken seriously, regardless of how a woman rejects a man.
“The law will find him no matter how rich he is,” the committee said.
The committee also urged businesses such as restaurants, shopping centres and entertainment venues to maintain working security systems, proper lighting, emergency procedures and surveillance equipment. It called on businesses to co-operate promptly with police requests for footage and other information.
The deaths in Ekurhuleni have led to memorial runs, vigils and protests, with women demanding stronger action against gender-based violence. Runners in Johannesburg carried a banner reading “Enough. Stop Femicide” during a memorial event for Moselakgomo. The killings have also intensified calls for better policing and faster responses to threats, harassment, missing-person reports and violence.
Against that backdrop, the Sandton video placed a recorded threat in the centre of a national conversation about women’s safety. The women’s decision to keep filming provided investigators with footage of the confrontation, while the restaurant’s intervention led to the man being removed from the premises.
Mudzinganyama’s arrest, the intimidation case and the investigations into his business dealings have now placed the incident before the authorities. His first court appearance is scheduled for 1 October at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.