The Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list is updated by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which enforces economic sanctions against those listed.

The Al Aqsa Foundation of SA - which claims to be Southern Africa's "largest orphan and needy children sponsorship project for Palestine" - is the latest South African organisation to be blacklisted.

Pretoria cousins Farhad and Junaid Dockrat were placed on the list three years ago. Farhad Dockrat and Junaid Dockrat, who owns a gun shop in Fordsburg, Johannesburg, remain on the list.

Though they could not be reached for comment yesterday, the two have repeatedly denied any links to global terror organisations.

The Al Aqsa Foundation is believed by the US Treasury to be a "critical part of the Hamas terrorist support infrastructure" because it sends money to the political party in the guise of charitable contributions.

The US department's website states that "several officials" from the charity are "active supporters of al-Qaeda and [Lebanon-based group] Asbat al-Ansar".

Ayanda Ntsaluba, director-general of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, said he was not aware of a South African individual or organisation that had been included on the US Treasury's list.

"I'm unaware of any information given to us by the US. Even if they have approached us, I'm unaware of that.

"Unless the country formally approaches us, there is not much we can do. The individuals concerned have restricted movement," he said.

Also on the list are Mugabe, his wife, Grace, and nephew, Leo. Though the reasons for their inclusion are not clear, Mugabe has recently hosted US arch enemy, Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

Rautenbach, who reached a R40-million plea bargain with South African prosecutors in connection with 326 charges of fraud at the beginning of the year, was included for his support of Mugabe and his "large-scale mining projects" in Zimbabwe.

Rautenbach could not be reached for comment.

Also included for supporting Mugabe is the controversial Zimbabwean multimillionaire John Bredenkamp.

US Treasury officials believe he is Mugabe's "crony" and subsidised his regime.

Earlier this year, Bredenkamp was blocked by US Treasury officials when he tried to sell a golf club in Marion, Illinois.

Bredenkamp's frozen seafood company, Breco, has also been blacklisted.

Since the 2001 terror attacks on the US, thousands of businesses and individuals have been added to the list.

The Dockrat cousins were listed for providing funds to a trust used by al-Qaeda. Junaid Dockrat allegedly "helped facilitate travel of South Africans to Pakistan for al-Qaeda training".

Junaid Dockrat's hunting-gear company, Sniper Africa, has also been listed.

But a South African Muslim leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, accused the US of "targeting anyone who supports Palestinians".

"The [US Treasury's] list is designated as collective punishment and is very distorted," he said.

"It is a very big problem if you are designated on the list. Any time you want to transfer funds from the charity it will be frozen. Anything with the name al-Aqsa is designated by the Americans," he said.

The Al Aqsa Foundation, whose management did not respond to requests for comment, is registered with the Department for Social Development and claims to have raised money for more than 300 Palestinian charitie

By The Times (SA)