ANC NEC members demand investigation into intelligence failures over Palestinian refugee flights
Members of the ANC NEC have called for an investigation into the intelligence services' failure to warn the government about the arrival of Palestinian refugees, raising serious concerns about national security and immigration protocols.
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Members of the ANC's national executive committee (NEC) have called for an investigation into how the country’s intelligence services failed to warn the government about the imminent arrival of planes transporting refugees from Palestine.
The Mercury understands from NEC members, who were part of the meeting this past weekend, that concerns were raised that refugees had arrived in the country, with the intelligence services knowing nothing about it.
Two planes have landed in the country, with one landing a few days ago. The arrival of the passengers raised alarms within government circles, as it has since emerged that the refugees did not know where they were being taken.
A source in the NEC said during discussions, members were shocked that the intelligence services failed to detect this situation.
“Keep in mind that this is not the first time something like this has happened; there is another plane that has arrived before, and there have been people coming from Palestine and, we understand, others from Ukraine. However, the intelligence service was unaware; how can that be? We now want them to be investigated,” stated the source.
The NEC members said that both the domestic and foreign intelligence arms should take responsibility for this security breach.
“A plane filled with people just landed in our country and they know nothing about it. We wanted answers because this means this could happen again and again.”
The source said the issue was not about the Palestinian refugees but the fact that such a security breach was allowed to happen. The party also wants a profile of everyone that is in the country.
“We are concerned that some of the people that have arrived stated that they paid about R30 000 to be taken here, and we wanted to confirm if that is indeed the case.”
The NEC member also said the party would want to put more stringent visa regimes in place going forward, pointing out that Palestinians and Israelis could get into the country with visas, and that could be beefed up going forward. “We have to know who is in the country.”
Several attempts to get comment from the ANC yesterday were unsuccessful.
Political analyst Thabani Khumalo said the situation has left many questions for the ruling party to answer.
“In South Africa, you do not know whether this is a country or what; the manner in which this unfolded has left many people feeling unsafe. We do not feel safe, and the visitors to the G20 will feel unsafe as well.
“How many people are roaming the streets that are unknown? There have been reports of people operating training camps, and even the defence members are complaining, indicating that many things are not going well.”
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said the flight was part of “a clear agenda to cleanse Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.”
“[This] is a clearly orchestrated operation because they are not only being sent to South Africa. There are other countries where such flights have been sent,” he said.
It was reported that the Palestinian embassy in South Africa stated that the group left Israel’s Ramon Airport and flew to the country via the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, “without any prior notice or co-ordination.”
The embassy added that “an unregistered and misleading organisation” had exploited the plight of the Gaza citizens, “deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner.”