WATCH: ‘US embassy alert to stock up on food and water odd’ – Pandor

South African Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Naledi Pandor has dismissed a warning by the United States government to its citizens in South Africa to stock up on food and water.

The American Embassy in South Africa urged US citizens to stockpile three days’ worth of supplies, including non-perishable food, 3 litres of drinking water per day, and medicine and first aid supplies.

US alert

It also said it expects load shedding to continue beyond 2023.

“The US embassy would like to take this opportunity to remind US citizens travelling to or living in South Africa that South Africa has a Travel Advisory Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution due to Crime and Civil Unrest,” the statement said.

The latest security alert by the American embassy was issued on 15 February, six days after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster on energy.

State of disaster

Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster, to respond to the electricity crisis on 9 February.

The president also said he would appoint a minister of electricity in the Presidency and the minister would focus full-time on working with Eskom to end load shedding.

ALSO READ: Sona 2023: Ramaphosa announces a national state of disaster

US alert odd

Dr Pandor said the warning by the US Government was “surprising and odd”.

“I don’t recall such alerts being issued when California had such blackouts and outages to South Africa.”

“So, I found it rather an odd warning, but there have been many of these surprise warnings and none of what is warned about has come to fruition.”  

Terror alert

In October 2022, the US Embassy in South Africa said the US government received information that terrorists may be planning to conduct an attack targeting large gatherings of people “at an unspecified location” in the greater Sandton area on the day organisers of the Joburg Pride refused to cancel their event on the basis of this alert.

After considering this alert, the organisers of the event went ahead as planned, with scores of supporters joining in spite of the terror alert.

ALSO READ: US embassy warns of possible terrorist attack in Sandton area

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