Pretoria - The government’s response in the wake of a terror alert issued by the US Embassy has been disappointing, says leader of the Build One South Africa opposition party Mmusi Maimane.
Speaking to broadcaster eNCA, the former DA leader said the United States Embassy should be commended for sharing the alert. He said, however, there had not been sufficient communication and details forthcoming from the Union Buildings.
“That is the biggest failure. A threat you should always take seriously. I want to thank the United States government for alerting this matter. The only question that we should put on the table is: Where is our president? Where is our minister of intelligence to be commanding the country to say: ‘Do not fear, here are the actions that we have taken and here are the security measures’?” said Maimane.
“If anything were to happen, the blame should not be at the US.…What did our government do if they were warned that something of this nature would happen? So, I’m, frankly, disappointed that we have a government that has failed to communicate accurately, timeously.
He said people who had been planning to attend big events this weekend would be panicking.
“It is unfair on business, it is unfair on the psyche of a nation that has already been through a lot,” said Maimane.
Earlier, the Presidency sought to assure South Africans that it was in control of the safety and security of all people within the borders, in the wake of the terror alert issued by the US Embassy on its website.
“It is the responsibility of the South African security forces to ensure that all people within our country feel safe. Law enforcement agencies continue to monitor for any threats to our citizens, our nation and our sovereignty,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
“Threats are assessed continuously and are acted upon to ensure the safety of all. Should the need arise, the South African government will be the first to inform the public about any imminent threat.”
The Union Buildings said it had noted the terror alert.
“This is part of the US government’s standard communication to its citizens,” Magwenya said.
A counter-terrorism expert, Jasmine Opperman, said the law enforcement and counter-terrorism machinery in South Africa lacked credibility.
Speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, Opperman said that with the presence of Islamic State in neighbouring Mozambique, the SADC region had become “far more vulnerable” to terrorism.
“First and foremost, there is need for an understanding of the southern African region that is far more vulnerable to terrorism. The Islamic State finally has a footprint in Mozambique,” she said.
“Then, in South Africa itself, we are sitting with an intelligence service, we are sitting with a law and order capacity that simply lacks the credibility from the people of South Africa, and how then would South Africa respond to this matter? It would then build levels of mistrust.
“To say that they have not received any information in this regard, point taken, but that does not mean there is no threat. When an alert is put on the table according to US protocols, we have seen this in the past – about 10 years back, creating hysteria.”
IOL