Cape Town Schools Receiving Bomb Threats

At least three schools in the Wynberg area of Cape Town, South Africa, have received bomb threats in the last week.

In local reports the schools are named as Springfield Convent, Wynberg Boys and Girls High Schools too.

However SAPeople has in its possession letters from other schools as well, including another very prestigious private school, which received similar bomb threats in June. We chose not to publish the news at the time so as to not create further panic, or give those trying to create terror any publicity or perceived power at all.

One Capetonian mom told SAPeople on 7 June 2018 that all parents at her daughters’ school had been notified of an incident the day before. The terror scares were sent via emails to the schools, “all with the same modus operandi”, and appeared to be attempts to extort money, she said.

“At one primary school down the road, they had a fun activity day where parents do a ‘drop and go’. The school then got notification that five children had been kidnapped and that if ransom was not paid, all 5 would be shot,” the mom said. “The school rounded up the kids and did head counts and no one was missing.”

The concerned mother of three said: “I hope the police get to the bottom of these acts of terror.”

The three schools named today – Springfield Convent, Wynberg Boys and Girls High Schools – as well as Wynberg junior schools, have been closed while the South African Police Service (SAPS) and its special investigative unit, the HAWKS, investigates. The schools will reopen on 19 July after the deadline of the supposed bomb threat… which was set for noon today if the cash deposit wasn’t received, Wednesday 18 July 2018.

In the June incidents, the emailed bomb threats were received at around lunch time (13h15) and the schools implemented their disaster management protocols, evacuating all learners. Extensive searches by SAPS uncovered no suspicious items.

In one letter, the head of a private school said: “The police have indicated that this is not an isolated incident and that this bomb threat may be linked to similar threats recently received by other Southern Suburbs schools and institutions. In all cases, the threats have proved to be unfounded. We have provided the police with the email communication and are working closely with a specialist police unit that is heading the investigation into this pattern of threats to schools and institutions.”

While police are taking their investigations seriously, it is believed that these threats are a hoax.

Parents are asked to monitor their children for any signs of distress or concern following these incidents, and school counselling can be provided where needed.