"Careful of your child's sudden need for a passport" warns TRAC's Opperman

702's Xolani Gwala spoke to Jasmine Opperman, Director-Africa at Terrorism Research Analysis Consortium on ISIS recruitment in SA.

Does South Africa have a crISIS?

There is international alert on the activities of ISIS in many countries, some have taken precautionary measures but one can never be too careful. ISIS recruitment are reported to be in many communities across the globe and usually targeted at the youth and young people. Xolani Gwala spoke to Jasmine Opperman, director at Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium who expressed that ISIS uses r targets young people because they are more vulnerable. They use methods of promising the young people an idea life of joy and opulence but once they've crossed the border they find that the picture is far from the promise.

Jasmine says although young people are usually and easily found on social media the awareness may be created that way but there are more advanced and directed methods by ISIS. She warned that it looks like the net is being cast and that South Africa needs to wake up to this reality.This resulted from the story of a fifteen year old girl who was taken off a plane from Cape Town, reportedly on her way to Syria to join the ISIS movement after being recruited.

Parents should look out for more indicators regarding their children's behaviors, from change in interests, need for passports and cutting off friends and other child-like activities or personality.

Jasmine Opperman

Listen to the interview here with Jasmine Opperman and Xolani Gwala here..