Cresta bomb threat confirmed false

Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said centre management informed police of a possible bomb on the premises at about 1pm.

“We went there to check, but nothing was found,” Dlamini said.

He added the origins of the threat were still unknown. No injuries were reported. Business at the mall was uninterrupted during the police sweep.

This after a similar threat was made at the Clearwater Mall in the west of Johannesburg in March.

According to the mall’s General Manager Vicky Vlok , a phone call was made to centre management by an unknown man threatening bombs would be detonated remotely should he not receive R100 000 as ransom. Police were called to the scene and after an extensive search found nothing.

Last month, president of the South African Council of Shopping Centres Marna Van der Walt told The Citizen bomb threats made at business premises, particularly shopping malls and office parks, negatively affect the productivity and revenue of businesses and came at an immense cost to the retail shopping business.

“It’s very serious. Any such scare is of great concern to us because it brings shopping centres to a standstill,” she said.

– Caxton News Service