Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has warned that any South African taking part in the Israeli military in the conflict in the Middle East will face the law.
Ntshavheni said the Foreign Military Assistance Act prohibits any South African from participating in military operations in other parts of the world.
This was after it emerged that some South Africans had joined the Israeli army to fight in the war in Gaza.
She said if they receive information on South Africans involved in foreign wars, they send that information to the Department of Defence and the National Prosecuting Authority to act.
She said the State Security Agency was currently monitoring the situation in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Ntshavheni was one of the ministers in the security cluster, answering questions in Parliament on Wednesday.
She said the State has a responsibility to ensure that no South African is involved in a foreign conflict.
“The State Security Agency, informed by its mandate, is monitoring developments in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
“The specific problem of South Africans joining the ranks of the Israeli Defence Force is receiving attention. However, this problem goes beyond Israel. It encompasses other conflicts where state and non-state players are involved in training in armed conflict. Where sufficient evidence is available that breaches of relevant law occurred, affected people will have to be prosecuted,” said Ntshavheni.
She said the SSA will act within its own mandate in dealing with mercenaries.
The minister said the Department of Defence and NPA have to act within their mandates as well in handling this issues.
The NPA also has to start moving with speed in prosecuting those who are involved in war outside the borders of South Africa.
Taking part in a war outside the ambit of government was illegal in terms of the law.
The NPA has to act swiftly on these cases.
“The NPA will have to move with speed to prosecute those who are participating not only in the Israeli war but in any other part of the world, and the Defence Department to attend to those who participate, who are former soldiers, in terms of their benefits,” said Ntshavheni.
The government has called for an end to the conflict in the Middle East.
Politics