Growing number of South Africans associating with terrorist organisations - Minister

The South African government is asking the public to help combat terror groups‚ saying that there is an increase in South Africans associating with terror groups.

State Security Minister David Mahlobo said his department needs partnerships between civil society organisations‚ the private sector and communities to fight this scourge‚ adding that no nation can act alone in dealing with this phenomenon.

“Domestically efforts continue to be undertaken to identify South African citizens who want to join terrorist groups and to prevent an expansion in this regard. In addition‚ we are working with certain communities to curb radicalisation and recruitment of our young people on false ideology‚” the minister’s office said in a statement on Tuesday‚ quoting remarks he made during his budget vote speech in Parliament last week.

Mahlobo said terrorist groups have been evolving with their motivations‚ financing and support mechanisms. Methods of attack and choice of targets are constantly changing. “This is done through the use of new and sophisticated recruitment tactics and funding methods‚ as well as attempts at gaining and controlling territory‚” he said.

The Minister reassured South Africans that despite the persistent global terrorism threat‚ the country remains relatively stable.

According to a 2015 report on Al Jazeera‚ 23 South Africans including at least eight families had joined ISIS within the last year. And a Turkish foreign ministry official claimed that a dozen South Africans were detained and deported back to SA for trying to reach ISIS territory in April 2015.