Alleged intimidation in Umbilo ‘anthrax’ scare

A CASE of intimidation has been opened against the man responsible for the alleged anthrax scare in Umbilo last week.

According to Col Mkhize, station commissioner for Umbilo SAPS, a note and the white powder was delivered to the Renewable Energy Company in Che Guevara Road on Wednesday by one of its clients.

“The owner had been receiving threats from this client and when opening the post in his office last Wednesday, he found a note saying ‘so you think you are clever let’s see what you are going to do with this’, along with the powder. He didn’t know what it was and as he thought it could be something like anthrax, he tried to call me,” said Col Mkhize.

When the owner couldn’t get hold of Mkhize, he went to the station to see him, along with another colleague.

“He walked into my office and left the note and powder on the table just outside my office door. I didn’t touch the powder as I am not an expert in this sort of thing, so I called the bomb squad to come assist,” he said.

Mkhize said they were told not to leave the office and not to let anyone else in.

“I wasn’t scared at all. This was the first time in my 31 years in the police force that I had seen such an operation.

“The men came in their outfits and took over. It was very professional and I was shocked to see how everything worked!

“We all had to go out and have a shower, as is, in our clothes, and were then taken to Addington where we had another bath, were examined and treated,” he said.

At the scene on Wednesday, divisional commissioner Owen Singh from the Fire Brigade spoke to Berea Mail and said they were taking precautionary measures as the powder could be a biological agent.

He said they were verifying whether it was a threat or a hoax and were following safety precautions. They had their biological chemical unit and the SAPS explosives unit conducting tests and executing standard operating procedures.

Mkhize said the powder was taken for forensic examination and results would be available in around two weeks.

The squad then proceeded to the company at 261 Che Guevara Road.

“I urged the owner of the company to open a case against this man, which he has done,” said Mkhize.