Even though it is not proven that the latest attacks on parliament buildings and structures are linked, security for SONA 2022 is not taking a chance.
South Africa has recently been hit by various attacks
All is set for tonight’s State of the Nation Address happening at 19:00 at Cape Town City Hall and security is expected to be tighter than usual.
Over the last six months, South Africa has experienced various disturbances and attacks. These include:
The July 2021 riots in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal that was initiated by the Jacob Zuma jail sentence.
The devastating Parliament fire that burned down historical parts of the building “under mysterious circumstances” in January.
And there was another fire at the Waterkloof Air Force Base as well as a break-in at the State Security Agency’s Musanda headquarters.
Could SONA 2022 be the next target?
Security expert, Dr Johan Burger, admitted that these incidents may not be linked, but nevertheless, they are definitely kept in mind when ensuring that SONA goes smooth and safe as possible.
“But it is worrying in the sense that purely on the suspicion that these things may be linked, one would be worried that the Sona could be targeted,” Burger said.
He added that the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJoints) luckily had a “good track record” when it comes to managing top-security events.
“So yes, there is a possible risk in view of what happened over the last few months, but I am confident that NATJoints would be able to deal with the situation effectively,” Burger said.