Terrorist Expert Says US Embassy's Security Alert Stopped Sandton Attack, Mzansi Thinks It's "Nonsense"

• Regardless of warnings of an imminent terrorist attack in Sandton from the US embassy, this weekend went off without a hitch
• A terrorist expert claims that there was no terrorist attack because the security alert discouraged would-be terrorists
• Some South Africans think the alert was fake from the start and there was never a planned attack

JOHANNESBURG - A terrorism expert has claimed that the US embassy's security alert served its purpose since there was no terrorist attack.

Last week on Wednesday, 26 October, the Embassy of the United States of America issued a terror alert to US Citizens warning of an imminent attack in Sandton, Johannesburg.

Panic ensued as South Africans worried about their safety over the weekend. President Cyril Ramaphosa broke his silence and rubbished the security alert saying the claims were unfounded and slamming the US embassy for jumping the gun, TimesLIVE reported.

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Regardless of Ramaphosa's assurance, several events in South Africa, including Johannesburg Pride, the Soweto derby and the Coronations of King Misuzulu, took place in the backdrop of panic.

The events went off without a hitch, and the security alert amounted to nothing. However, Terror expert Jasmine Opperman thinks the security alert issued by the US embassy deterred the would-be terrorists.

While speaking to Briefly News, Tinyiku Ngoveni, the Chair of the Department of Criminology & Security Science at Unisa, echoed Opperman's claims.

Ngoveni said:

"The fact of the matter is that terrorists would never act in an environment that is already under surveillance as they always target a slumbering lion, so they might have decided to retreat and regroup."

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Opperman added that it was good that security forces and intelligence took the alert seriously. Still, SA's intelligence committees mustn't find a false sense of security in the fact that the attack didn't occur, EWN reported.

South Africans react to claims that the alert stopped the terror attack

While some South Africans agreed the security alert acted as a deterrent, others believe it was fake news.

Here are some comments:

@WeetbixDr rebutted:

"Nonsense..there was nothing, to begin with."

@jar123_ asked:

"Suggesting there was supposed to be an 'attack' and followed the news/social media, who in their right mind would carry it out?"

@Mbuso0_ pointed out:

"Terror has no expiry dates. Imagine terrorists giving you a day, place and time to strike. A sane nation must always be ready."

@seasidealso added:

"Terrorists like the element of surprise, so don’t pat yourselves on the back yet, you do that once you have foiled an attack."

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Sandton terrorist attack: Ramaphosa broke his silence and said US embassy’s warning was unfounded

In a related story, Briefly News reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa rubbished the security alert issued by the embassy of the United States of America.

The alert, which warned of a possible terrorist attack in Sandton this weekend, has had South Africans on edge, but President Ramaphosa assured that the claims are unfounded.

The president made the assurance during his opening address at the beginning of a state visit by Spanish head of state Pedro Sánchez in Pretoria on Thursday, 27 October, EWN reported.

Source: Briefly News