Fears over PE 'terror camp'

2007-03-27 07:50

Johannesburg - South African and foreign intelligence agencies have been monitoring an alleged training camp linked to Muslim fundamentalists at Greenbushes, Port Elizabeth, The Herald Online reported on Tuesday.

According to an intelligence source, the camp is no longer operational because of possible botched surveillance activities.

Senior intelligence official Barry Gilder was recently reported as saying South Africa was keeping an eye on visitors suspected of having links to international terror, and that there could possibly be some small-scale training grounds inside the country.

Although Gilder has since denied that he referred to "training camps", his reported comments have evoked protest from the Media Review Network and the Muslim Judicial Council.

'It's all nonsense'

They are concerned that such unsubstantiated accusations could fuel Islamophobia and set up Muslim organisations for scrutiny and harassment.

A magazine has published a report on an alleged paramilitary training camp, allegedly linked to a well-known Muslim family in Port Elizabeth.

The report - including photographs of the training grounds - is the cover story in Molotov Cocktail, a magazine edited by James Sanders, author of a recently published history of South Africa's intelligence services.

However, Port Elizabeth Muslim leader Samuel Panday on Monday dismissed the report, saying the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) was trying to increase its budget allocation through making claims of a military camp.

"There is no such camp - it is all nonsense; rubbish," said Panday.

"They (the NIA) said I was running a camp for terrorists four years ago. They must start spending their time and energy on fighting crime in places like Central (Port Elizabeth)."

There are other alleged camps in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, and even a suggestion that Sri Lankan rebel movement the Tamil Tigers sponsors some form of training in South Africa.

Intelligence spokesperson Lorna Daniels said senior intelligence sources had confirmed that authorities were aware of the Greenbushes camp.

But she said they were "at pains to point out the activities were not dissimilar to training for local neighbourhood watch groups".

- SAPA