Police Minister Bheki Cele. Picture: Bongani Shilubane/African News Agency (ANA)
Durban – “We are prepared!” This was the response of Minister of Police Bheki Cele to the US Embassy's warning of a possible terrorist attack in Sandton on Saturday.
Speaking on the eve of the ceremony to hand over a certificate of recognition to King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini, Cele said there was no evidence to support the alert.
“It's the responsibility of the police, whether they have received the intelligence report or not, to protect the events,” he said.
Cele said there were four major events taking place in the country: the king's ceremony, Johannesburg Pride, a soccer derby and a rugby match.
“All that, we are ready for it. Even if there were no threats, they (police) would have still prepared for it,” he added.
[ON THE RECORD] 🇿🇦 Police Minister responds to media questions around the safety of South Africans at public events this weekend. Minister Cele doesn’t mince his words; he says threat of not @SAPoliceService are taking all necessary precautions to safe gaurd all events. pic.twitter.com/bu13R4AGDl
— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) October 28, 2022
Meanwhile, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) is urging people to report any suspicious behaviour and activities.
“Natjoints notes with concern the proliferation of false or misleading messages about possible targets of terrorist attacks. The general public is discouraged from sharing misleading information on social media platforms about terror attacks to avoid creating unnecessary panic and alarm,” police spokesperson Major General Mathapelo Peters said.
Peters added that Natjoints could give the assurance that the intelligence community had followed up on any information at hand but had not confirmed the veracity of any threat. Security agencies remained on high alert.
“We take all threats seriously and as part of institutionalised processes, there are counterintelligence measures in place to assess and mitigate terrorism threats. The US threat alert comes at a time when heightened law enforcement visibility and targeted operations are already in place as part of Safer Festive Season Campaign which started on 15 October 2022. All hands are on deck and all law enforcement agencies have joined forces to ensure that South Africans and those who live in this country are and feel safe,” Peters said.
More than 500 events will take place in the country from October 28 to 30; more than 200 of those will be hosted in Gauteng.
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