The Bellville Regional Court has sentenced 50-year-old Ferdinand Fortuin to five years’ direct imprisonment after he made a series of hoax bomb threats targeting government offices, a major transport hub, and his own workplace — all in an attempt to avoid going to work.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed on Monday, 11 August, that Fortuin’s conviction stemmed from a bizarre incident in November last year when he called police claiming he had planted explosives at the Department of Water and Sanitation in Bellville, the Transnet Park Building, and the Bellville taxi rank.
According to the NPA, the threats were made in the early hours of Monday, 11 November 2024, after Fortuin had been drinking heavily the previous day. Instead of reporting for duty, he hoped that the roads leading to Bellville would be closed due to his threats, allowing him to skip work. Ironically, the closures never happened, and he ended up working a full day despite his elaborate scheme.
In his plea and sentencing agreement, Fortuin admitted that he had purchased a cellphone from a drug user specifically to make the hoax calls. He phoned both the Bellville Police Station and a toll-free emergency number, claiming that bombs were planted at the three sites.
His actions triggered a large-scale emergency response involving bomb disposal experts, K-9 units, and visible policing teams. Thousands of people were evacuated, and significant public resources were deployed. 164 people were evacuated from the Department of Water and Sanitation offices on Voortrekker Road. 151 people were cleared from the department’s Bellville South offices. 250 people were removed from the Transnet Park Building, and the Bellville taxi rank was shut down, with 3,000 people evacuated and roads in the area closed, causing chaos for commuters.
The panic caused by the threats was compounded by the closure of the busy taxi rank, which serves as a transport lifeline for thousands of workers and traders in Cape Town’s northern suburbs.
Fortuin was arrested and charged with four counts under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities Act (POCDATARA) and the Explosives Act. The terrorism-related charges carry a prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, but the court found “substantial and compelling circumstances” to impose a lesser sentence.
He was convicted on three POCDATARA counts, which were taken together for sentencing purposes, resulting in a five-year direct imprisonment term.
The court considered several mitigating factors: Fortuin was a first offender, pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and cooperated fully with authorities. The judge noted that his acknowledgment of wrongdoing made him a good candidate for rehabilitation, but stressed that such crimes remain serious due to their impact on public safety and resources.
Eric Ntabazalila, NPA Western Cape regional spokesperson, said the sentence should serve as a warning.
“The NPA accepts the sentence of the court and warns that anyone who makes such threats will face tough consequences. The NPA will not hesitate to prosecute conduct of this nature to the full extent that the law allows,” he said.
Authorities are urging the public to understand that hoax threats are not a joke — they are a criminal offence that can result in lengthy jail time.
Such calls: waste critical state resources that could be responding to real emergencies, cause widespread panic, disrupting businesses, government services, and public transport, risk injury during evacuations and crowd movements, and undermine trust in emergency services, which could delay responses to genuine threats.
A senior Western Cape police official told African Times that every bomb threat must be treated as real until proven otherwise.
“When someone makes a call like this, we have no choice but to mobilise all necessary resources immediately. Even when it turns out to be false, the damage is already done — to public confidence, to the economy, and to the functioning of essential services,” the official said.
Under the POCDATARA Act, making a false claim about a threat to public safety — including planting explosives — is classified as a terrorism-related offence. Convictions can carry 15 years to life imprisonment, depending on the severity and impact.
While Fortuin’s sentence was reduced due to mitigating factors, legal experts say that future offenders may not be so fortunate, especially if there is evidence of repeat offences, malicious intent, or direct harm caused.
What began as a reckless attempt to dodge work ended with thousands of disrupted lives, wasted public funds, and a prison sentence. Fortuin will now serve his time in a correctional facility, a reminder that in South Africa’s current security environment, bomb threats — real or fake — are taken seriously.
“Think before you dial,” Ntabazalila warned. “What might seem like a prank or a clever excuse for missing work can cost you your freedom.”
