MILITANT CELLS LYING LOW IN SOUTH AFRICA – GIGABA
JOHANNESBURG – South Africa has identified a number of “sleeper cells” set up by militant groups that aim to use the country as a logistical base, its interior minister said on Friday, without giving further details.
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba’s comments come after police arrested four people in July who they said were planning attacks on US and Jewish-owned targets in the country.
“The South African government is aware that there are people who are using South Africa as a logistic hub, as a hideout, and there are sleeper cells,” Gigaba told a news conference.
He said the government knows who they are and has the situation under control.
Asked what action was being taken, he said: “We don’t talk about those things. Our security forces are acting on those issues in a manner which we think is best for us.”
In July, South African police said they had arrested four people,including twins, who were accused of planning attacks on the US embassy in the capital, Pretoria, as well as on buildings owned by Jewish people.
