Government says it will continue to pursue the United States to provide Pretoria and its Washington-based diplomats with access to an alleged South African woman suspected of being a terrorist.  

 The unknown woman, whose nationality is yet to be established, was arrested near the Mexican border near Texas last month for what Pretoria says was a "material false statement to a federal officer."

 The woman, the Foreign Affairs Ministry says, is being charged with illegal entry into the US as well as altering a passport "for purposes of residing" in that country that is on a high alert against terrorists following the 9/11 attacks.

More so, the US is preparing for highly contested presidential elections in three months' time.

However, the charges the woman is facing, that appear to have nothing to do terrorism, contradict earlier reports linking her to Al Qaeda, a global terrorist network heading a US list of suspected terrorists blamed for the attacks on the US almost three years ago.

Depending on the woman's confirmation of South African citizenship, government affirmed it would offer her consular service once her nationality had confirmed as indeed South African. 

Government's clarity follows questionable reports that South Africa was been targeted by terrorists - a view strongly rejected by Pretoria, saying "there was no need for panic".

As in Pakistan where two South Africans are in custody for alleged terrorist ties, government has so far been denied access to the suspects with mixed responses from Islamabad on the status of and the alleged crimes. 

However local security and political experts as well as senior government officials have questioned the credibility of such statements, saying they see no reason why the country would be targeted given its consistent stance on the Middle East conflict and the ongoing bloodbath in Iraq.

By Matome Sebelebele, tel: (012) 314-2267 
Issued by: GCIS (Government Communication and Information System)- BuaNews