Malls and shopping centres across the country are being targeted by the criminal underworld, the Lemok Group said.
The Lemok Group is a township-based marketing group of companies founded by award-winning entrepreneur, Lebogang Mokubela, in 2015.
He said that in recent weeks, numerous reports about explosive and incendiary (fire-starting) devices have been received from various shopping centres and retail stores across the country.
“As Bheki Cele, the Police commander-in-chief, tackles crime in the country, the shopping centre industry – like other industries – is forced to up the ante against criminal activity to ensure the safety of staff, tenants and most importantly shoppers. More needs to be done about threats.
“Last month (June), we saw a spike in mall robberies. This month (July), we have seen reports of bombs in various shopping centres and stores, with KwaZulu-Natal being the first to be hit. This is another disruptive force impacting the already strained shopping centre and retail industry in South Africa – an industry that employs thousands of people as well as contributing towards boosting socio-economic growth. Many shopping centres claim to provide a safe environment for shoppers and their families. We need to join forces to protect shoppers and tenants alike,” he said.
What to do when a bomb threat is made or when an unidentified device is found:
Is the device a fake? Is someone making a hoax call? Or is it a terrorist plot? There are no reliable statistics specific to bomb threats.
According to Mokubela, anecdotal evidence suggests that such threats are most likely benign, but with hundreds or even thousands of lives at stake, shopping centres and retailers can’t afford to take chances.
“While empty threats and hoaxes don’t harm anyone, the mere utterance damages the perception of management’s ability to provide a safe environment for staff and shoppers. The culprits often turn out to be disgruntled employees, dissatisfied customers or pranksters. Nobody knows the true intentions of a bomb threat or a suspicious device, so we have to take every threat seriously. Saying this, if management has contingency plans and precautionary measures in place, they will be able to restore the faith lost by staff, tenants and shoppers,” he said.
Mokubela added that during a threat, remaining calm and collected is first and foremost –especially for managers.
He highlighted the following points for shopping centres, retail managers and staff to consider:
• Put a comprehensive bomb threat response plan in place
• Educate phone operators and receptionists and provide a checklist of information
• Determine the credibility of a threat
• Decide whether to evacuate
• Provide calm, direct assistance during the evacuation
Visit https://www.lemokgroup.co.za for more information.
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