A 50-year-old man from Bellville, Western Cape, was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday, 11 August, after making a false bomb threat to avoid going to work.

Ferdinand Fortuin pleaded guilty in the Bellville Regional Court after contacting police in November 2024, claiming he had planted bombs at multiple locations, including the Department of Water and Sanitation, Transnet offices, and the Bellville taxi rank.

Fortuin made the threats following a night of heavy drinking, hoping road closures caused by the hoax would allow him to skip work. His actions led to the evacuation of thousands of people and the deployment of extensive state resources, including bomb disposal units and K-9 teams.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that Fortuin faced charges provisioned under terrorism and explosives laws. While the minimum sentence for such offences is 15 years, the court reduced his sentence to five years, considering his guilty plea, first-time offender status, and apparent remorse.

Despite accepting the sentence, NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila issued a warning to any potential future troublemakers: “The NPA will not hesitate to prosecute conduct of this nature to the full extent that the law allows.”

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