https://www.polity.org.za
Deepening Democracy through Access to Information
Home / Videos RSS ← Back
Close

Email this article

separate emails by commas, maximum limit of 4 addresses

Sponsored by

Close

Embed Video

Black Widow White Widow: Is Al-Qaeda operating in South Africa?

Investigative reporter De Wet Potgieter discusses his new book Black Widow White Widow, which seeks to answer whether Al-Qaeda operating in South Africa. Camera & Editing: Darlene Creamer. 06/08/2014.

8th August 2014

By: Shannon de Ryhove
Contributing Editor

SAVE THIS ARTICLE      EMAIL THIS ARTICLE

Font size: -+

When in 2013 he first published a report on the active presence of Al-Qaeda in South Africa, all hell broke loose for investigative reporter De Wet Potgieter. He was forced to retract before two more substantiating articles could be published.

Then the massacre at Westgate Mall hit Nairobi, which made the involvement of the so-called White Widow – operating on an illegally acquired South African passport – front-page news. Suddenly the world’s media was beating a path to Potgieter’s door.

Advertisement

Now, for the first time, he tells the full unsettling story of Al-Qaeda’s presence in this country. Not only is the veil lifted from this mysterious British woman, but the identity of another is disclosed: an Afrikaans-speaking counter-terrorist operative known as the Black Widow.

The book shows how, taking advantage of corrupt state machinery, Al-Qaeda factions launch attacks in other African countries. It discloses details of paramilitary and urban warfare training on a secluded farm and reveals disturbing details of the support they receive from various local extremist groups. Based on investigations spanning two years, Black Widow White Widow paints a frightening picture of the all too real possibility of future attacks from, or on, South African soil.

Advertisement

Black Widow White Widow: Is Al-Qaeda operating in South Africa? is published by Penguin Books South Africa

EMAIL THIS ARTICLE      SAVE THIS ARTICLE

To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Comment Guidelines

About

Polity.org.za is a product of Creamer Media.
www.creamermedia.co.za

Other Creamer Media Products include:
Engineering News
Mining Weekly
Research Channel Africa

Read more

Subscriptions

We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

View store

Advertise

Advertising on Polity.org.za is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

View options
Free daily email newsletter Register Now