A blind eye to terror warnings

THE articles “Isis property under scrutiny”, “SA under threat from Isis” and “Jihad training camp located in Reservoir Hills” (POST, October 31 – November 4, 2018), refers.

We had many incidents in South Africa, which highlighted the threat of terrorism on our country but authorities did not take threats seriously.

The UK government had issued a travel advisory detailing the threat of terror attacks on foreign interests in South Africa. But our government did not take too kindly to the alert. It accused the UK government of acting in haste and exaggerating the situation.

We also had cases of millions of rand being smuggled out of the country, which could be funding terrorist organisations like Isis.

The corruption in the Department of Home Affairs is also of great concern. Samantha Lewthwaite, the woman known as the “White Widow” and suspected of leading the terror attack on Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall a few years ago, was able to steal the identity of a South African woman and live in this country.

It is no secret our security and intelligence services, under the watch of former president Jacob Zuma, were too complacent about the threat of terror.

They were too caught up in the internecine battle for dominance that they ignored the rising threats of terrorism in our country. SAGREN PILLAY Newlands West