The Citizen reports that a 50-year-old Bellville man who made hoax bomb threats to police has been sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment.

The Bellville Regional Court convicted Ferdinand Fortuin on three counts after he falsely claimed to have planted explosives at the Department of Water and Sanitation, Transnet offices and the Bellville taxi rank. The threats, made on 11 November 2024, forced the evacuation of more than 3,500 people and the deployment of multiple specialised police units.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Fortuin admitted in his plea and sentencing agreement that he had been drinking heavily the day before and “did not want to go to work the following day”. He left his home in Mamre, expecting the roads leading to Bellville to be closed because of his bomb threats, but they were not and he worked the whole day. Fortuin confessed to buying a cellphone from a drug user to make the hoax calls, including one to the toll-free emergency number in which he claimed to have placed explosives at the three locations. One call was to his own workplace.

Fortuin faced a prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years unless the court found “substantial and compelling circumstances” to deviate. The court noted that he was a first offender, had pleaded guilty, had shown remorse, and had “strong personal circumstances” making him a candidate for rehabilitation. He was sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment on all charges combined.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Oratile Mashilo at The Citizen
• Lees ook, Man gevonnis na vals bomdreigemente, by Maroela Media
• As well as, Western Cape man who made a bomb hoax to skip work sentenced to five years, at IOL News

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