[imagesource: Wikimedia Commons / NJR ZA]

When news broke yesterday afternoon that the US Government had issued an alert for a possible terror attack in Sandton this coming weekend, specifics were hard to come by.

The US Embassy released an official statement saying it received information that terrorists may be planning to attack and target large gatherings and advised people to avoid crowds in the area.

In response, Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele downplayed the threat of an attack, saying the “alarm has been going on but up to this point it is not backed up by any evidence”.

It’s a toughie, choosing between our government and the US government when it comes to who to trust, but News24’s reporting backs up the threats by saying two specific ‘targets’ had been identified:

A gay pride event and a two-week theatre show staged by Jewish comedian Nik Rabinowitz were potential targets of a terror attack in the heart of Sandton…

Peace talks between warring Ethiopian parties currently under way in Pretoria was also flagged by South Africa’s intelligence agencies as a potential target…

The method of the potential attack, be it using a vehicle, firearms or explosives, could not be independently verified.

US authorities reportedly identified seven individuals operating as part of a cell aligned with the Islamic State (ISIS).

Yesterday’s announcement was a fly in the ointment for our own investigation, which was “scuppered” when the news became public. When exactly were they planning on letting the public in on this one, then?

Fun fact – a source close to the State Security Agency (SSA) said Gungubele had been left out of the loop when intelligence from US organisations was passed on to the SSA.

In other words:

Yes, I am sure a minister in the South African presidency is basing his statement off superior intelligence than that garnered by the CIA https://t.co/JQ04y85pu9

— Ryan Cummings (@Pol_Sec_Analyst) October 26, 2022

Cummings, the director of a political and security risk management consultancy, also spoke with News24:

“This message is quite specific. It mentions the place and time. The big response from South Africa’s law enforcement agencies would be strengthening security measures. The Sandton area is an attractive target. It has a lot of foreign and multinational offices, [probably] residents of some diplomats, and it’s symbolic of SA’s political and economic relationship with the rest of the world.”

Johannesburg Pride issued a short message yesterday evening, saying they will release a statement “in due course”.

It remains to be seen whether the Pride event and Rabinowitz’s show go ahead.

The comedian’s show is due to run from November 1 to November 12 at the Theatre on the Square. At the time of writing, he has yet to publicly comment and this is his most recent post on social media:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Nik Rabinowitz (@nikrabinowitz)

I guess we can add potential terrorism attacks to that list.

[source:news24]