Bomb threat but no bang

Just as the morning has broken and most of the employees were getting ready for another day of their daily duties, whether it was work or assisting customers paying bills and sorting out accounts, the unexpected happened.
On February 8, just after 9:00 the morning the municipal switchboard received a message from a unknown man that spoke in isiZulu informing a employee that a bomb has been placed in the rates hall.

Customers and employees were then instructed to evacuated the Emalahleni City Council building after the bomb threat.
Law Enforcement and Witbank Police closed off the road around the Emalahleni City Council ensuring the safety of everyone.
This led to the municipal building being evacuated and the police called. The area was then cordoned off and after a search by the Police Dog Unit the building was declared safe. By 14:00 midday the rates hall reopened to the public and services continued.

Law Enforcement and Witbank Police closed off the road around the Emalahleni City Council ensuring the safety of everyone.

There is still no clarity nor any information regarding the reason of this threat or any arrests but the case is being investigated closely.

“The municipality sees this incident in a very serious light as it disrupted operations, created unnecessary discomfort to the public as well as the shops opposite the municipal building. The estimated financial impact of this is R2 million in lost income and loss in staff working time,” the Municipal Manager of Emalahleni, Theo van Vuuren commented on this bizarre situation.

The municipal Law Enforcement Unit provided a valuable and professional service in securing the area and retaining order. The Police of Witbank in partnership with the Bomb Squad and Dog Unit had a speedy reaction too.

“We need to take cases like these serious because you never know if the next time will be a real bomb,” the Spokesperson of Witbank Police, Eddie Hall closed off.