Viewed objectively, the hue and cry in connection with the arrest of 95 Libyans, apparently in South Africa under false pretences and undergoing what is termed “military training” at a Mpumalanga security training facility, has to be laid at government’s door.
Freedom Front Plus (FF+) leader and Correctional Services Minister in the GNU (Government of National Unity), Pieter Groenewald, maintains the arrests at the Milites Dei Security Services (MDSS) facility in White River again shows “government ignorance”.
The White River arrests, the former Commando officer said in a statement, follow “several” Parliamentary questions regarding military training offered by private security companies to foreign groups in the Eastern Cape province. “Each question was met with a negative answer,” he wrote.
“The White River incident offers irrefutable proof that it is indeed the case, and government could have something to hide. After the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal in July 2021, the FF Plus warned that the country’s intelligence services are not up to standard and should be overhauled. That obviously has not yet happened.
“Allowing foreigners to receive military training in South Africa, especially if they could possibly be tied to terrorism, seriously jeopardises the country’s territorial integrity,” Groenewald stated, noting that the 95 people in custody apparently have ties with a group trying to destabilise Africa.
“If the matter is not clarified soon, the people of South Africa could demand that heads roll. South Africa simply cannot be allowed to turn into a training base for international terrorist groups endangering citizens’ lives,” he said.
Another contributing factor to the lacklustre intelligence performance is South Africa finding itself on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list for failing to take adequate action against local money laundering and terror financing.
The Libyans appeared in the White River Magistrate’s Courts earlier this week and were remanded in custody until their next scheduled appearance on Monday, 5 August. Reports have it the remand decision was taken to allow Department of Justice officials to find an Arabic translator. Currently they face charges of being in South Africa illegally having apparently entered the country with visas acquired through misrepresentation in Tunisia, according to the Department of Home Affairs.
The Libyans reportedly arrived in South Africa in April.
