ActionSA is concerned over the state of national security in South Africa following the deportation of 95 Libyan militants discovered at a secret military training camp in Mpumalanga last month.
ActionSA said this comes after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on two South Africans linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said that his party has grown increasingly concerned that the government's lacklustre approach to these evident security concerns and broader threats has placed the country at perilous risk.
“Over the weekend, in a hasty deportation, 95 Libyan militants were flown back to Tripoli, on a chartered jet – this despite a long list of unanswered questions regarding their exact activities and purpose in South Africa, and how they managed to enter the country.”
Mashaba added that as global terror networks reconfigure and target Africa for expansion, the threat to regional peace and security has escalated significantly.
“ Mozambique’s own battle with insurgency (underscores) the present danger this poses to South Africa. What is clear is that terrorism knows no borders and requires proactive and co-ordinated intervention from the government. Sadly, the alarming unresponsiveness following the discovery of Libyan militants reveals that neither the president nor the minister in the Presidency responsible for State Security appears to be taking this matter seriously.”
Mashaba said that in the absence of clear answers to the most basic questions regarding the 95 Libyan militants -- such as whether they were part of a known or unknown militant group, whether they posed a threat to national security and whether any state or non-state actors supported their activities, the government is dangerously setting the stage for South Africa to be seen as an attractive safe haven for terrorist groups.
Mashaba added that State Security urgently needed to get into shape, as the consequences are far too dangerous to allow for any further breakdown in our capacity to mitigate both domestic and foreign threats to peace of security.
The Department of Home Affairs said on Sunday that they had concluded the preparations to deport the 95 Libyans who were arrested in White River, Mpumalanga, last month.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber commended the Home Affairs officials and other law enforcement officers who worked tirelessly to ensure an expeditious deportation. “We will continue to deploy all resources at our disposal to ensure that the country’s immigration laws are respected and observed.”
The Mercury