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Police Minister visits illegal military training in Mpumalanga

Police Minister visits illegal military training in Mpumalanga

By Everson Luhanga

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu visited a secret military training camp on Saturday.

The camp was discovered on Friday on a farm in White River, Mpumalanga.

The minister and other senior officials, including two deputy ministers and national police chief General Fannie Masemola, briefed the media before visiting the farm.

On Friday, 95 Libyan nationals were arrested who entered South Africa on visas obtained through false representations in Tunisia. The suspects obtained visas under the pretext that they would be training to become security guards in South Africa.

Police are currently investigating the possibility of more illegal military training bases across the country.

Addressing the media on Saturday, Minister Mchunu said that the police were considering the existence of other similar camps. “From our position, the investigations are ongoing and we are not going to limit ourselves to what we have now established. We will expand our checks because this may be just one at the moment, but if we find anything else, we will follow up. We are conducting investigations,” he said.

The minister confirmed that the visa application process had been breached and that this issue would be resolved. “Although this facility is legal in terms of Psira processes, further investigation revealed non-compliance with the application,” he said.

Acting Provincial Commissioner Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi stressed the importance of security and stability in the province and the country. “We take any threat to the security and stability of our province and our country very seriously. This operation demonstrates our commitment to act swiftly and decisively against any activities that could undermine our national interests and ensure the safety of our citizens, which is our primary mandate,” he said.

Mkhwanazi added that the investigation is ongoing and more details will be provided as they become available. The SAPS assured the public that there was no immediate threat to the safety of the community.

The suspects, who are also accused of being in the country illegally, will appear in Kabokweni court on Monday.