SA official to visit detained men
2008-08-25 14:09
Pretoria - The reason for the detention of two South Africans in Uganda would only be known after the SA High Commissioner there has visited them, hopefully on Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
Spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said that so far no charges had been put to the two relief workers, and further information and decisions on a course of action would only be known once this visit had taken place.
Mufti Hussain Bhayat of Lenasia and Haroon Saley of Azaadville were detained last week during a stopover at Entebbe International Airport in Kampala.
Terrorism task force
Uganda's New Vision online newspaper said they were taken in by a joint anti-terrorism task force with two other Ugandan Muslims who had gone to the airport to meet them. However their family's lawyer Yousha Tayob said he had not received any firm reason for their detention.
On Sunday New Vision reported that army Major Paddy Ankunda said the two were suspected of being involved in terrorism activities and that they had not been tortured.
"We are still holding them. We have got useful leads and are compiling more information," he was quoted as saying.
The Muslim Judicial Council is concerned that the two may be the subjects of Islamophobic profiling in the wake of an international anti-terror crackdown.
According to an itinerary provided by Tayob, the two left Johannesburg for Kenya on August 12 to give relief aid in Kenya, as the Crescent of Hope organisation for which they work had received requests for assistance.
They were then to depart for Uganda on August 17 for the same mission.
They were due to leave Entebbe Airport in Kampala on August 20 for Johannesburg, but were taken in for questioning at the airport.
Charitable work
The organisation they work for has previously received requests from Islamic associates in Uganda for help with charitable work.
These have included responding to requests for boreholes for madrassahs, sponsoring the living and tuition expenses of orphans, as well assisting with Qurban - the slaughtering of an animal as an offering, Iftaar - which involves providing food to needy families for breaking the fast every night during Ramadaan, and Suhuur - the pre-dawn meal during Ramadaan.
Locally their work includes blanket collections during winter, establishing orphanages and drug rehabilitation centres and water projects for schools and communities, a Crescent of Hope pamphlet says.
They also raise money to build mosques and Islamic centres.
- SAPA