Training camp where 95 Libyan nationals were arrested in South Africa was ‘illegal’: Regulator

By Hassan Isilow

South Africa’s Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) said Wednesday it has found that a camp, where 95 Libyan nationals were seeking training in a military style, was “illegal” and not accredited by authorities.

Manabela Chauke, the director of PSiRA, told reporters that the security training company Milites Dei Security Services (MDSS) has one accredited facility but the second one where the Libyans were arrested was not accredited.

“The second training facility where the Libyans were found is not accredited and therefore is illegal. The training program and duration was not the normal security training program offered in South Africa,” Chauke said.

Last month, 95 Libyan nationals were arrested during a police raid on a suspected "secret military camp" in White River, a holiday town in the northeastern Mpumalanga province which borders Mozambique and Eswatini.

Police said at the time the camp allegedly contained military training equipment and drugs.

The Libyans, who made their second court appearance on Monday, were charged with making misrepresentations in their applications for visas. The court postponed their case for three weeks.

South African authorities canceled their visas two weeks ago, saying they obtained them irregularly in Tunisia through misrepresentation.

The Libyans entered South Africa in April on study permits to become security guards but instead allegedly received military training. They were scheduled to return home in December.

Chauke told reporters that some of the instructors they found at the training camp were non-South Africans who used military ranks.

He said they found trenches dug at the facility which is unknown for security guard training.

“The standard of training offered was foreign or also adopted from other countries,” he said, adding that they will lay criminal charges against the owners of the security training school.