Dirco requests UK government to review travel advisory against SA

The South African government has written to the High Commission of the UK government to review a travel advisory issued earlier this week.

The advisory came after news that a South African couple had been kidnapped in KwaZulu-Natal earlier this month.

The UK government advised its citizens to exercise caution when travelling to South Africa.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said on Friday it had written to the UK government over its concerns about the removal of a sentence about there having been no terrorist attacks in South Africa in recent years.

“The department is concerned at the removal of the sentence that ‘there have been no terrorist attacks in South Africa in recent years’, which had appeared in previous iterations of the travel advice, and that a new sentence has been added to the travel advice that is linked to the issue of terrorism that reads: ‘In February 2018 two individuals (dual SA-UK nationals) were kidnapped in KwaZulu-Natal province’,” said Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela.

“The said kidnapping has not been proven to be linked to terrorism. The linkage that has been created by the travel advice is therefore viewed as premature. The isolated threats of terrorism that have been experienced in South Africa have been effectively and promptly dealt with,” he said.

News24 reported on Tuesday that the Hawks announced that their crimes against the state unit – along with other law enforcement agencies, including the Durban police’s crime intelligence division – had identified two suspects in the kidnapping case on February 16.

[source: News24]

Picture of Aneeqa Du Plessis
Aneeqa Du Plessis

Related Stories

VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.

Donate to our Pledgeline
Support our Mosques
Listen on Online Radio Box! Voice of the Cape

Listen Live

Western Cape’s No.1 Community Radio Station

0%