President Cyril Ramaphosa said his government was “working around the clock to verify and look closely at the message that came from the United States” on an imminent terrorist attack on South African soil.
“Our agencies, as they are getting better at their job of securing our people, are alert and are looking very closely at this type of threat and they continue to do so,” the president said on Thursday.
He added: “Any form of alert will come from the government of the Republic of South Africa.”
However, Ramaphosa said “it was unfortunate” that the United States government issued a terror alert this week without discussing it with the South African government first.
Earlier in the day, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor said the government was concerned about the terror alert issued by the local US embassy about a possible attack in the greater Sandton area this weekend.
“We are very concerned about terrorism after the alert from the US embassy informed us. Clearly our security organs are paying attention to this matter,” Pandor said.
The country’s second opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), on Friday claimed the US embassy’s terrorist attack warning was a “plot to destabilise South Africa.”
The EFF said in the past the US had invaded other nations based on “faulty intelligence”.
“We reject these warnings as part of a self-made plot to destabilise our country and damage its reputation,” the EFF said.
NM/jn/APA