Latest news with #NationalSecurityStrategy
Ya Biladi
2 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
PP pushes for security plan on Ceuta and Melilla after Creation of Liberation Committee
In Spain, after Vox, it's now the People's Party's (PP) turn to voice concerns over the revival of the Ceuta and Melilla Liberation Committee. The PP's Senate group has introduced a motion urging the government of Pedro Sanchez to implement a «Comprehensive Security Plan for the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, in line with the 2021 National Security Strategy commitments». This move by the PP pushes the executive to «urgently adopt the measures outlined in this Plan to mitigate the negative impact of the Moroccan government's unilateral decisions», as stated in the document. The motion, submitted by Senator Fernando Gutiérrez Díaz de Otazu, who represents Melilla, underscores that «in recent years, the Moroccan government has made several decisions that directly affect the living conditions of the inhabitants of Ceuta and Melilla, necessitating special attention». The People's Party believes it is «necessary for the General State Administration to intervene» to tackle the issues stemming from the border status of these two cities. It is important to note that Nizar Baraka, Secretary-General of the Istiqlal Party (PI), expressed in a letter addressed to Alberto Núñez Feijóo, his «concerns about the ambiguity of the PP's position on the Sahara issue». «We express our deep concern about the lack of clarity from the People's Party on the Moroccan Sahara issue, while an international dynamic of support for the autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty is gaining strength», Baraka lamented in his message. The PP responded to this letter from the head of the Istiqlal Party. «Our position on the Sahara is public and transparent, unlike the opaque decisions made by this government on the subject. We have always defended the same stance, and we maintain it today», stated Borja Sémper, the PP spokesperson.
Korea Herald
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
N. Korea slams Japan's reported move to deploy upgraded anti-ship missiles in Kumamoto
North Korea on Monday lambasted Japan over a reported move to deploy upgraded surface-to-ship missiles in western coastal Kumamoto Prefecture near China as Tokyo continued to strengthen its defense posture. The Korean Central News Agency issued the criticism following a recent Japanese news report that the country's defense ministry is finalizing a plan to deploy locally produced Type-12 anti-ship missiles at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto during the current fiscal year that runs through March 31. The missile has a range of 1,000 kilometers and is capable of reaching China's coastline. The planned deployment is intended as a deterrence to China, and the ministry is also considering deploying the missiles in Okinawa Prefecture, the report said. The KCNA claimed the deployment is intended to secure Japan's preemptive strike capabilities, aimed at realizing its ambition for the imperial-era "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere," rather than deterring any specific threat. "Through military buildup and reorganization, as well as schemes for force modernization, Japan is approaching a situation where it can put an invasion war into action," the KCNA said, citing the 2022 revision of its National Security Strategy and the March launch of the Joint Operations Command. The KCNA described Japan as "prepossessed with becoming a military power," accusing the country of racing toward a day of reinvasion by deploying long-range missiles intended for preemptive strikes. "The day of reinvasion that Japan is now so desperately seeking will be the day it steps into an irrecoverable hell," the KCNA warned. (Yonhap)
The Citizen
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Is the leader of the GNU lost at sea? : Ramaphosa's leadership style questioned
Many South Africans have expressed disappointment with the manner Ramaphosa dealt with the Mchunu allegations. President Cyril Ramaphosa is losing the country. His hold on it is unravelling like a ball of frayed string rolling downhill. The government of national unity, which had vowed to rescue South Africa, is dysfunctional, largely because of the president's appalling lack of leadership. Unprecedented depths of economic and social distress have heightened public discontent and one senses that it needs just a spark to erupt. The ever-faster cascade of events has punctuated the president's customary sang-froid. He has made foolish decisions and he has been caught in fabrications that he should have realised were bound to be exposed. Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's explosive allegations about political meddling, cadre deployment and institutional capture in law enforcement and the justice system left Ramaphosa flat-footed. It says much about how out of touch Ramaphosa has become that, despite the gravity of Mkhwanazi's allegations, he genuinely seemed to think he could shield his close ally, police minister Senzo Mchunu and deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya. Public outrage swiftly made his stance untenable. As Mchunu's stand-in, Ramaphosa chose Prof Firoz Cachalia. A respected academic who, on paper, looked like a safe choice, Cachalia arrives with baggage of his own. When Mkhwanazi earlier this year went public for the first time with claims of political meddling, Cacha lia accused him of 'public grandstanding' and urged him to stick to the internal police channels that he had accused of corruption. But the comedy continues. Farcically, the portfolio in the meantime has been handed to Gwede Mantashe, the most compromised but longest-serving minister Ramaphosa has had. It's during all this slapstick that Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni deemed it to be an opportune to release the 2024-2028 National Security Strategy assessment, which confusingly concludes that, despite political assassinations, incipient terrorism, violent extremism, economic sabotage and ram pant corruption, South Africa is a stable and secure nation. She then went on to make some extraordinary remarks at the press conference about a potential coup d'état. 'There is,' Ntshavheni told the increasingly bewildered journalists, 'a potential risk of a coup d'état. We have identified it and put measures in place to mitigate against it. So, that's why we say to South Africans that there will not be anyone attempting to do a coup in South Africa.' ALSO READ:'Cyril must fall': Organisations march against Ramaphosa to Union Buildings on Mandela Day In the past few days or in the past few weeks, there has not been anyone attempting to do a coup in South Africa. That does not mean people are not planning one. Or, as Lewis Carroll put it with greater elegance and far less chance of rocking national confidence: 'If it was so, it might be. And if it were so, it would be. But as it isn't, it ain't.' Unfortunately for Ramaphosa, his other pet project, the National Dialogue, is not going to save the day for him. To many, it's just the latest manifestation of Ramaphosa's preference for symbolism over action. Even ANC legacy foundations, long accustomed to wielding quiet influence behind the scenes, are now publicly voicing their frustration. This week, the Walter and Albertina Sisulu Foundation issued a blistering statement, warning that Ramaphosa's habit of 'preaching dialogue while insulating political elites from accountability' amounts to little more than political theatre. The foundation charged that his leadership – tarnished by the still unresolved Phala Phala scandal – 'contradicts the very principles his administration claims to uphold'. The foundation's conclusion was stark: it's time for Ramaphosa to resign. NOW READ: What now for Senzo Mchunu? Police minister's political career on the ropes
eNCA
18-07-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Could coup d'état comments impact SA's image?
JOHANNESBURG - This week in Cape Town, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni made a bold revelation, warning of the risk of a possible coup d'état in South Africa. Unveiling National Security Strategy and National Intelligence Estimate documents, she assured the nation that preventative measures are in place, and praised the role of the SANDF and police services.
The Citizen
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
A coup? Here's what makes SA most vulnerable to attacks
The NSS stated that a disregard for the state's authority was growing, fuelled by the malicious use of communication platforms. A National Security Strategy (NSS) document published this week gives an overview of the greatest dangers posed to South Africa's stability. Threats of a possible coup d'état were raised by Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni as the country still reels from allegations made by a senior police official. Neither Ntshavheni nor the NSS document elaborate on any specific groups which could carry out a coup, amplifying calls for the minister to furnish the nation with proof of her claims. SA 'remains stable' The redacted NSS document released on 15 July stated that domestically, the primary risks were those that undermined the state's functionality and the physical vulnerability of citizens. The report listed organised crime, gangsterism and illegal migration as breeding grounds of instability — all tied together with the consistent use of illegal firearms. 'Illegal migrants create 'no-go' areas in South Africa that violate the sovereignty of the country and undermine the authority of the state. 'The threat to socio-economic stability is caused by, among others, violent community protests as well as instability in the labour, transport and education sectors,' read the NSS. The NSS stated that a disregard for the state's authority was growing, fuelled by the malicious use of communication platforms. 'In order to destabilise the social and political situation in South Africa, inaccurate information is distributed, including deliberately false reports about the threat of terrorist acts,' read the document. However, it concluded that 'South Africa remains a stable country', despite the number of internal social ills. African and global threats Outside South Africa's borders, threats to the Southern African Development Community primarily stemmed from poverty. 'Poverty and underdevelopment are the overriding human security challenge. Violence and crime feature strongly in the region as both a cause and symptom of underdevelopment,' the NSS states. 'The level and extent of terrorism as an asymmetric threat is contingent on the extent to which major demographic, socio-economic, developmental and governance issues are addressed,' it explained. This leads to a continental spread that sees the 'expansion of ungoverned and ungovernable spaces, transnational militancy, organised crime and trafficking'. Globally, the digital age has removed the geographical limits of crimes, leaving nations open to international crime, terrorism, sabotage and trafficking networks. However, Deputy Minister of Defence Bantu Holomisa said on Thursday that coups were not discussed on social media. Holomisa was one of the last leaders to successfully stage a coup south of the Limpopo when he took control of the Transkei civilian government in December 1987 as chief of the Transkei Defence Force. 'We are not expecting conventional warfare in South Africa. The major threat I foresee is civil disobedience, where we are asked by the police to assist and protect them,' said Holomisa while conducting an oversight visit at 1 Military Hospital. Digital insurgency Digital communications have also been highlighted by a European body as a platform for plotting social unrest and insurgency. A study by the German Council for Foreign Relations (GCFR) states that insurgent groups were most likely to use multiple online platforms to mobilise. 'There is a playbook available to plan a coup based on digitally maximising on- and offline capabilities to amplify a cause and push for mobilisation,' states the GCFR. However, no group or sector of society has been identified as having the resources or organisational capacity to pose a threat to the South African government. This has led Ntshavheni's opponents to insist that the minister or the security cluster reveal the source of her coup claims. 'She must tell us who, what and where,' said uMkhonto weSizwe (MP) party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela. 'She has already told the public, now she must give us details and stop politicking,' he concluded. NOW READ: 'A coup is not discussed on social media': Holomisa says no need to press panic buttons
