Raseriti Papi Tau, the MK Party’s coordinator for the Northern Cape, has issued a warning that terrorism poses a serious threat to South Africa.
Tau links the local threat to larger continental issues, with a particular focus on Mali.
The former MP raised this concern at the executive meeting of Youth United for Global Peace & Prosperity in Kimberley on Monday.
Under the theme “Threats Posed by Terrorism in Africa: The Vulnerability of Mali and South Africa’s Peace and Prosperity”, Tau presented a thoroughly shocking exposé, concluding that South Africa would be the next target for global terrorism.
Failure of international community
Tau attributed Mali’s instability to the separatist Tuareg Movement and the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), as well as the rise of Islamist factions like al-Qaida.
He emphasised the international community’s failure, particularly highlighting the UN and France’s role in stabilising Mali post-Muammar Gaddafi’s overthrow in Libya.
According to Tau, this historical context set the stage for understanding how insurgents in Mali had become emboldened and well-equipped, largely due to the power vacuums and the withdrawal of international peacekeeping forces.
“Following the 2020 coup, a brief period of military rule was followed by a civilian-led transitional government,” Tau said.
“In May 2021, the transitional government was overthrown by the military, and Assimi Goita, one of the 2020 coup leaders and former transitional government vice-president, was sworn in as president.”
He said that these events were not isolated but formed part of a grand scheme, like the one that led to the US-led overthrow of Gaddafi, which had now created a breeding ground for insurgents in Northern Mali.
Abundance of weapons
“The result of that overthrow left an abundance of military weapons and artillery, which the insurgents used effectively against the government of the day in Mali.
“The subsequent withdrawal of France and the UN peacekeeping missions in 2022 and 2023, respectively, in the region created space for the insurgents to launch an avalanche of attacks against the government of the day.
“This led the Malian government to seek the intervention of Russia to bolster its security capacity and build peace and stability as it combats terrorism in the region.”
He drew the room’s attention to more recent and alarming local events, citing the Hawks’ serious organised crime unit raid in Modimolle on August 8, which resulted in the seizure of large quantities of firearms and ammunition.
This, according to him, was the second such base uncovered in a month.
He linked this domestic development to the broader destabilisation trends in Mali and Niger, where state military forces and international actors like Russia were battling insurgents.
Spillover of militants
He added that terrorism knew no borders, emphasising the necessity for international cooperation.
Tau highlighted the spillover of militants across national boundaries in Africa, which complicated the fight against terrorism.
He further criticised the endorsement by Ukraine of insurgent attacks in Mali, alleging that the US had long been a covert supporter of al-Qaida.
Tau also emphasised the interconnectedness of global terrorist networks and the role of state actors in exacerbating these threats.
In addition to urging the government and civil society to categorically denounce terrorism and to mobilise for increased awareness and readiness, he called for a united front within South Africa.
In an effort to spur both national and international action against the multifaceted and transnational nature of terrorism, Tau advocated for South Africa to use its platform at the UN to introduce a motion denouncing Ukraine for its alleged support of terrorist activities in Africa.
