A armed South African Police Services (SAPS) officer stands near the entrance to a farm where they detained ninety five Libyan nationals for receiving training at what authorities suspect to be a secret military camp in White River, Mpumalanga province on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)
White River, South Africa: South Africa said Saturday it would deport as soon as possible 95 Libyans arrested at a camp being investigated for running military-style training in violation of regulations.
The men were arrested on Friday in a raid at the remote camp in the northeastern province of Mpumalanga that borders Mozambique and Eswatini.
Police said the Libyans entered South Africa in April on visas issued for instruuction as security guards. However, police suspected they were receiving military training.
The Home Affairs department said the visas had been “irregularly acquired” in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, and based on “misrepresentation”. They had been cancelled and the men faced deportation.
“It’s clear to us that their being here is illegal…We would want them to be out if the country as soon as possible but we will follow due process,” national police minister Senzo Mchunu told reporters.
A sign leading to the facility outside of White River, about 360 kilometres (220 miles) east of Johannesburg, describes it as an academy offering “specialised security training”.
It was registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) but appeared to have gone beyond the brief of training for security guards, Mchunu said.
“All indications are pointing to this being more of a military training facility than an ordinary security training centre,” he said. “If you like, (it is) wholly military and less, or partially, security.”
Television footage of the camp showed military-style tents but the arrested men were in civilian clothes.
Weapons found at the camp were all legal, national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola told reporters. However, questions had to be answered about training “which appears to be basically and fundamentally military,” Mchunu said.
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Publish date : 2024-07-27 16:39:00
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