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Woman defends son accused of being an ISIS terrorist

A Durban mother has denied her son is an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighter, after a picture was posted on Twitter of his driver’s licence, which was apparently found on the dead body of an unidentified jihadi.

The licence, owned by South African Aqeel Abdul-Haq Kloberie, has been verified by the Department of Home Affairs as authentic, Daily News reported on Monday.

His mother, Joyce Snyman, of Umbilo in Durban, was still waiting for news from authorities, and was hopeful that he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The picture was posted on Twitter on November 19, and claimed that Kloberie was a jihadi terrorist, and had just been killed in Iraq.

Snyman reportedly told the daily that her son was an introvert, but very skilled. She said feared he may have been used by terrorists to make bombs, or that he could have been killed by mistake.

"My son is not a terrorist," she said.

Kloberie left for Bahrain in March to work as a radiographic tester, the daily reported. His mother said she last spoke to him in June.

Previous SA links

This is not the first time a South African has been linked to the global terror group.

Last week, a Durban resident was seen flying the ISIS flag from his Pinetown home.

The man claimed that conspirators had snuck into his garden and climbed a tree to erect the flag, which has since been taken down.

A case of contravening the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act was opened on Friday, Durban police confirmed.

 

 

 

News24