U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Terrorism 2006 - South Africa
| Publisher | United States Department of State |
| Author | Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism |
| Publication Date | 30 April 2007 |
| Cite as | United States Department of State, U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Terrorism 2006 - South Africa, 30 April 2007, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4681084e23.html [accessed 9 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
South Africa continued to publicly support global efforts to combat terrorism and shared financial, law enforcement, and limited intelligence information with the United States. President Mbeki reiterated his support for such cooperation during his December meeting with President Bush. On several occasions President Mbeki voiced his opinion that "no circumstances whatsoever can ever justify resorting to terrorism." Members of Parliament from other parties, including Muslim legislators, have echoed Mbeki's sentiments.
The Government of South Africa supported multilateral counterterrorism efforts and bolstered its enforcement agencies. Resource constraints, however, limited the extent to which South Africa could fund its security forces for counterterrorist initiatives. The South African government is sensitive to distinctions between "terrorist organizations" and "liberation movements," since the ruling African National Congress was long branded a terrorist group during the struggle against apartheid.
Fraudulently obtained documents remained a significant problem for South African authorities. Although South African documents often include good security measures, but efforts to limit potential terrorists' access to passports and South African identity documents were limited by low capacity in the Department of Home Affairs, which handled identity documentation.
It was unclear to what extent terrorist groups were present in South Africa. Many analysts believed that AQ and other extremist groups have a presence within South Africa's generally moderate Muslim community. The South African government does not provide any type of material assistance to any group designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States.
