Visiting Greek President Constantinos Stephanopoulos says recent terrorist attacks in various countries have shown that modern democracies should not be complacent.

President Stephanopoulos was addressing Parliament in Cape Town, yesterday.

He said modern democracies ought to be vigilant in order to protect what people had struggled to achieve.

"Terrorism is a global threat that can only be countered by the joint efforts of all democratic countries, within the framework of International Law, and by eradicating its causes," he said.

He added that last year's terror attacks in New York in the United States (US) and the recent attacks in Bali, Indonesia were cases of negative elements within contemporary societies.

The previous night, a series of bombs exploded in Soweto, south of Johannesburg, killing an unidentified woman and seriously injuring her husband who is undergoing emergency surgery at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto.

A tenth bomb exploded in Bronkhorspruit earlier yesterday, though police could not link it to other blasts.

The visiting President heaped praises on South Africa's recent performances on the international stage.

"The creation of the African Union, with South Africa the first country to hold the Presidency of this Organisation...the successful organisation of the World Conference against Racism in Durban, last year, as well as the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development which was organised in Johannesburg, constitute an additional proof of the role South Africa plays on global issues".

He said Greece and South Africa were linked by their common attitude for their respect of international law and legal order, the inviolability of international borders, the defence of human rights and the implementation of United Nations (UN) resolutions -BuaNews.