What’sApp messages and emails naming the Ballito Bay Mall and Ballito Lifestyle Shopping centre‘s as targets for a terror attack are hoaxes.

The Ballito Lifestyle Shopping Centre management issued a memo earlier today warning tenants of the hoax, and stating that the American consulate have confirmed that there is no immediate threat at the shopping malls mentioned.

These include:

• Ballito Lifestyle Centre
• Ballito Bay Mall
• Liberty Midlands mall (PMB)
• La Lucia (Durban)
• Trade Route Mall (JHB)
• Mall of Africa (JHB)
• V & A Waterfront (CPT)

The hoax messages state that terrorist attacks were expected today, June 9, and were supposedly issued by the embassy.

On Saturday, June 4, the US Embassy released a statement saying that the US government had received information that terrorist groups were planning to carry out attacks against places where its citizens congregate in shopping areas in South Africa.

However Durban and Ballito were not mentioned, neither was a date specified.

“This information comes against the backdrop of the Islamic State group’s public call for its adherents to carry out terrorist attacks globally during the upcoming month of Ramadan,” it said in a statement posted on its website.

The South African government on Wednesday expressed its displeasure at the way the United States handled the issuing of an alert to its citizens at the weekend, saying it had caused unnecessary panic.

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