'SA has no info on al-Qaeda'

2003-02-17 13:34

Cape Town - South Africa has no intelligence regarding al-Qaeda bases within the country, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said on Monday.

During a briefing to the media and diplomats at Parliament, Nqakula was asked about reports of al-Qaeda cells operating out of South Africa.

He said people who believed the organisation was operating from such bases had a responsibility to give this information to the police.

"Surely they have an obligation to tell us. We don't have that intelligence. Those that have it must place it in our hands," he said.

Turning to the draft Anti-Terrorism Bill, recently prioritised for introduction in parliament on a priority basis, he said the parliamentary committees dealing with the bill would soon hold public hearings on the issue.

This was to ensure that "what becomes law in South Africa" was acceptable to the majority of the population.

Justice Minister Penuell Maduna repeated the government's commitment never to reintroduce detention without trial, and the rights of terrorism suspects would also be respected and upheld.

However, bail for such suspects would be handled with extra care.

Regarding the spate of urban terror attacks at the end of last year, he said police were on top of the situation.

Several people had been arrested, and the cases would start coming to court in May this year, Maduna said.

- SAPA