[imagesource:fordsburgindependent]

The UK embassy has issued a ‘terrorism alert’ for any of its citizens who may be planning to travel to South Africa but has so far not been able to provide any credible proof for the warning.

Posting a notice to its official website, the UK embassy warned, “terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in South Africa”.

International Relations Department director-general Zane Dangor is puzzled by the UK’s “strange” claims about the possibility of a terrorist attack on South African soil.

The embassy noted that the current conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories has led to heightened tensions around the world.

“Terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaida and Daesh, have called on their supporters to carry out terrorist attacks in response to the conflict, and this could motivate individuals to carry out attacks,” it said.

BusinessTech asked South Africa’s State Security Agency and DIRCO for comments regarding the alert but did not receive a response.

According to terrorism expert Willem Els at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), these kinds of alerts originate from intelligence reports, which should then be communicated and discussed with the relevant authorities of both countries.

Following consultations, both parties then have the autonomy to decide whether it’s credible enough to issue an alert, which the UK decided it was in this case.

“We asked them where this credible threat came from, and they still have not given us a proper explanation. There is no evidence why we would be a target for a terror attack, and we are saying if you have credible information, give it to us, which they have not done.”

This alert issued by the UK seems to be similar to the various Western embassy warnings issued last year following the US alert in October 2022 that terrorist attacks might take place in Sandton.

The South African government acknowledged the US alert but said there was no information pointing to evidence of a credible threat.

This sounds like scaremongering by a paranoid government with its nose in too many conflicts. Next thing you know the UK and US want to open military bases in Mzansi to ‘protect our democracy’, followed by a ‘strong advisory’ to buy weapons from RTX Corp.

Besides, have they seen our crime stats? Pffft. Terrorists should be warned about coming to South Africa.

[source:businesstech]