After assisting eight members of the terror group Islamic State to return to South Africa from Syria last year, the government has put its foot down. The Sunday Times has established that security agencies are no longer allowing IS fighters to be reintegrated into society - and has rejected a plea by a South Africa family that wants to come home.The State Security Agency is trying to identify the funders and recruiters of IS in South Africa after four people were arrested last weekend - two of whom have been charged with terrorism.The Department of International Relations and Co-operation has denied a plea by the Moosagie family of Port Elizabeth to return to South Africa for medical treatment after their 18-year-old son, Eesa Moosagie, was shot in the head. He is believed to be in a coma.story_article_left1The department's spokesman, Clayson Monyela, said: "A few individuals got shot, some of them died, some of them are injured and people wanted us to bring them back home and we said no. "We said we can't do that. They went out of the country and illegally fought in another country."Last year, state security opted to monitor those who returned and warned them of the repercussions of any terror-related activities.Since the return in September last year of eight adults and three children, the department has advised religious leaders to keep an eye out for any radicalisation attempts.But Allie Moosagie wants nothing more than for his brother to fly home. It has been a year since he lastheard from Rashid, who left Port Elizabeth in January last year with his wife and four children to join IS.Allie could not confirm whether the family had asked the government if they could return to South Africa.But, he said: "The greatest thing that can happen is if they can come back. But when they come back they must come with their proper senses. They must come back because they are disillusioned."Twins Sallahuddin (Brandon-Lee) and Yakeen (Tony-Lee) Thulsie, 24, of Newclare in Johannesburg have been charged with conspiracy and incitement to commit the crime of terrorism and conspiring and attempting to commit acts associated with terrorist activities , after a police raid on their home last Saturday .After another raid, in Azaadville on the West Rand on the same day, siblings Ebrahim, 33, and Fatima Patel, 24, have been charged under the Explosives Act and the Firearms Control Act, for allegedly being in possession of a stun grenade and 21 bullets.They were granted bail on Thursday.It was reported this week that the Thulsies allegedly recruited the Patels, but lawyers have denied they know each other.The arrests have shocked both communities, members of which say they posed no threat.Karen Jayes, of the advocacy group Cage Africa, which has stepped in to help the family, said Sallahuddin shared a one-bedroom home with his mother, Wasiela, 52, and supported her.mini_story_image_hright1Said Jayes: ''Their sister Salomi said he gave most of his salary to his mom. Salomi describes both her brothers as gentle-hearted and very giving. Sallahuddin, she says, would give his lunch or last change to beggars ... "Jayes said the twins had tried and failed to go to Syria to live under an Islamic system.''They did not leave to fight for IS ... Salomi called the airline and stopped them because she was worried about them. They returned home to lead normal lives. Sallahuddin had a full-time job and Yakeen was due to start a new job on Monday."The Thulsies were arrested for their alleged links to IS and had been under surveillance for a year before their arrests. "We are not after the recruits as much as we are after those who are recruiting," a source said.Shabier Dabhelia, chairman of the Azaadville Community Policing Forum, has dismissed reports that Ebrahim Patel was kicked out of the CPF.Their mother, who has cancer, and their elderly father were traumatised, he said.It was impossible that the siblings could have been up to no good. "There's nothing here that happens in Azaadville that people won't know," he said.The four are due to appear in court again tomorrow.sub_head_start 'Beware lone wolves who keep plans hidden' sub_head_endSouth African security agencies are in denial about the threat of Islamist terror, says Professor Hussein Solomon, a political scientist at the University of the Free State."The detection of the alleged terror cell arrested by the Hawks this week was a lucky break - and other radical networks or lone-wolf operators are more careful to keep their plans hidden," said Solomon, who has published two books on Islamist extremism."The government says they were alerted to the Thulsie twins when they tried to go to Syria last year and they've been on the surveillance radar for several months. However, when the American government, followed by the British and Australian governments, warned their nationals about this very same thing, what did we do? We denied it."So what is going on here? Are the different elements of the intelligence agencies not talking to each other?"block_quotes_start Let's not cause s**t here because it's so nice for us here ... we are getting passports and IDs from corrupt home affairs officials ... we are operating with organised crime syndicates block_quotes_endLast month, the US embassy issued an alert that terrorist groups were planning attacks at shopping malls in South Africa. Clayson Monyela, spokesman for the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, dismissed the warning as a "false alarm".In 2013, Solomon wrote a book on Islamist extremism in South Africa, Jihad: A South African Perspective. This year he followed it up with a book about IS, Islamic State and the Coming Global Confrontation.Solomon, who has come under fire for his insistence that al-Qaeda and Hamas paramilitary camps have been operating here since the '90s, said South Africa's anti-terror radar was getting weaker."I think things have got steadily worse. Three of our intelligence chiefs were essentially fired because they raised the issue of the Guptas and state capture. You have musical chairs in the intelligence community ... and the criminalisation of the state is allowing these guys to operate."Solomon said the lack of terror attacks in South Africa had been largely due to the reluctance of jihadist networks to jeopardise their foothold in Southern Africa by provoking a security crackdown.mini_story_image_hleft2"There was a massive debate among the various groups ahead of the 2010 World Cup. The feeling was 'Let's not cause s**t here because it's so nice for us here. We are operating safe houses, we are getting passports and IDs from corrupt home affairs officials. We have cash here, we are operating with organised crime syndicates.'"Since last year, when news of South Africans joining IS began to filter through, little information has emerged on how many have joined the group.But Dr Saad Kindeel, Iraq's new ambassador to South Africa, warned this week that the country was "sitting on a time bomb" and sleeper cells were operating and generating support and recruits for IS.The Iraqi government had been trying to sign a memorandum of understanding with the government since January last year to share intelligence. He had been trying to meet State Security Minister David Mahlobo, without success.Kindeel estimated that 80 to 300 South Africans may have been recruited to join IS.Anton du Plessis, executive director of the Institute for Security Studies, said it was difficult to estimate how many South Africans had been recruited. It was impossible to determine how far the very wide IS network stretched."It's like a global gang ... anyone can commit an act of terror against anything they deem Western interest and claim it in the name of IS. It's not like they have to be a card- carrying member. They just have to swear allegiance and that's what makes it so dangerous," he said...