The pre-trial hearing of the Thulsie twins is expected to be heard in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Friday.

Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsie were arrested during raids in Newclare and Azaadville, on the West Rand, in July 2016.

The twins were allegedly linked to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) and were allegedly planning to detonate explosives at a US embassy and Jewish institutions in SA, according to their charge sheet.

On April, the State submitted an indictment to the court which listed 12 activities the twins were allegedly instructed to carry out – using firearms, explosives and possibly poison.

“In August 2015 [Tony-Lee] became a participant in a series of Telegram chats with Abu Fidaa, an ISIS network, and other persons whose real identities are unknown to the State, during which he was instructed to:

Attack the best targets involving ‘US/Brit/French interest in SA’;
Kill Zapiro, who drew the Messenger of Allah cartoon;
Kill Jews who fight in Israel and return to South Africa;
Kill affluent Jews; and
Kill gay imam, ‘as yet unidentified’.”

News24 previously reported that other targets included King David High School in Linksfield, Johannesburg, the UK High Commission, the embassies of the USA and Russia, the first secretary to the French mission, Jewish investment banker Roy Topol, South African Zionist Federation Telfed, state-owned arms manufacturer Denel, Jewish community events and foreign interests at airports.

Tony-Lee is accused of discussing terrorist plans with an undercover US Federal Bureau of Investigation agent between May and June 2016.

He believed the agent was an ISIS operative based in the US. He allegedly sought advice on making bombs and asked for funding. He is accused of soliciting support for ISIS using his personal Facebook page.

Brandon-Lee allegedly acquired the Mujahideen Poisons Handbook by Abdel-Aziz, and a manual entitled How to Survive in the West: A Mujahid Guide, which teaches its readers how to live a double life and how to “keep your secret life private”.

The State had previously said the brothers had collected issues of Inspire, al-Qaeda’s magazine in the Arabian Peninsula.

The issues contain an illustrated guide on making explosive devices and tips on using weapons and engaging in combat, the indictment states.