You do not find a military camp with 95 trainees from another country and then carry on as if it is just another crime or case of illegal immigrants.

Whether the 95 Libyans arrested following a raid by Mpumalanga police on a farm misrepresented themselves on their visa applications or not, national security has been breached.

For all we know, the White River military camp said to have been set up in April may not even be the only one occupied by militants in the country.

On Monday, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said at this stage, the militants were facing a charge of misrepresentation on their visa applications. More charges will depend on the investigations.

The officers who raided the base found military tents, licensed firearms and other equipment, as well as cannabis and cocaine.

According to the police, the Libyans allegedly claimed they would be training as security guards. The camp was initially registered as a training site for a private security company.

No immediate threat to community safety was found, police have said.

However, these are the same authorities who failed to detect the July 2021 unrest following the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma.

Similarly, we still don’t know how Shepherd Bushiri fled from the country to evade arrest in November 2020, or how Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha

Magudumana escaped through our borders to Tanzania, where they were eventually cornered.

In the case of the Libyans, the immediate question that needs to be answered is how they entered our borders and set up a military camp under the noses of the police for four months.

It cannot just be business as usual; heads must roll and a strong message be sent that no one, irrespective of how senior, will compromise national security and get away with it.

Cape Times