A late morning bomb scare saw African National Congress (ANC) Limpopo officials and staff making it to safety late Monday morning as alarm was reportedly raised at the party’s provincial headquarters. Only to find that it was a simulation exercise scheduled every five years.
Upon evacuation of the multi-storey fortress, ANC Provincial Chairperson Stan Mathabatha was witnessed to be safe and sound and accompanied by ANC Provincial Treasurer Danny Msiza on the side walk opposite Frans Mohlala House. Mathabatha mentioned that they had been engaged in a provincial party officials’ meeting when the bell sounded.
While awaiting feedback on the exercise in front of the building in Biccard Street, ANC Provincial Secretary Soviet Lekganyane said he had grabbed only the pen he was writing with at the time of the disruption and left his belongings upstairs. They had been informed to hurriedly vacate the building by the party’s head of security in Limpopo, he indicated.
He alluded to the fact that staff in the employ of the ANC in Limpopo reacted very quickly to the call and that the disaster management unit of Polokwane Municipality arrived within reasonable time.
Lekganyane mentioned that a lesson to be learnt from the exercise was that all official vehicles of party leaders in the employ of government shouldn’t all be parked in the off-street lot in future in case of an eventuality.
ANC Limpopo Head of Security Sawel Mabotja described the response of both staff and emergency services as good. Addressing matters that required future attention he pointed out that an alternative method had to be used for the alarm in the building hadn’t responded accordingly.
Upon the building having been declared safe, an official of Polokwane Municipality who refused to identify himself afterwards, briefed the party’s provincial leadership and staff members on the side walk opposite the office block and said the exercise had been conducted to make them aware of any eventuality that could strike at any time.
Story & photos: YOLANDE NEL
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