BELLVILLE – A 50-year-old man who made bomb threats to avoid going to work has been sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment by the Bellville Regional Court.
According to court documents, Ferdinand Fortuin contacted police on 11 November 2024, claiming he had planted explosive devices at the Department of Water and Sanitation offices, Transnet Park Building, and Bellville taxi rank. His false threats triggered massive evacuations involving over 3 500 people and the deployment of substantial state resources.
The court heard that Fortuin had been drinking heavily the previous evening and decided he did not want to go to work on Monday morning. In a misguided attempt to avoid his job responsibilities, he hoped his bomb threats would force authorities to close roads, avoiding him from travelling from his home in Mamre to his place of work in Bellville.
Massive emergency response
The hoax calls sparked one of the largest emergency responses in recent Bellville history. Bomb disposal technicians, K-9 explosive detection units, and visible policing members were deployed across three sites.
At the Department of Water and Sanitation offices on Voortrekker Road, 164 people were evacuated, while another 151 were removed from the department’s Bellville South offices. The Transnet Park Building saw 250 people evacuated.
The most significant disruption occurred at Bellville taxi rank, where 3 000 people were evacuated. The facility was completely closed, along with surrounding roads, creating widespread panic and transport chaos in the area.
Fortuin’s plan backfired spectacularly. Despite the massive emergency response his threats generated, the roads remained open and he was forced to work the entire day. His elaborate scheme to avoid a single day of work ultimately cost him five years of freedom.
In his plea and sentencing agreement, Fortuin confessed to purchasing a cellphone from a drug user specifically to make the hoax calls. He contacted both the Bellville Police Station and a toll-free emergency number, providing detailed false information about explosive devices.
Legal consequences
Fortuin was charged with four counts under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities Act and one count under the Explosives Act. He was ultimately convicted on three terrorism-related charges.
The prescribed minimum sentence for such offences is 15 years’ direct imprisonment. However, the court found substantial and compelling circumstances that justified deviating from this harsh penalty.
Factors that influenced the reduced sentence included Fortuin being a first-time offender, his guilty plea, demonstration of genuine remorse, and strong personal circumstances that made him a good candidate for rehabilitation.
State’s warning
National Prosecuting Authority Regional Communications Manager Eric Ntabazalila said the NPA accepts the court’s sentence but warned that similar conduct will face serious consequences.
“The NPA will not hesitate to prosecute conduct of this nature to the full extent that the law allows,” Ntabazalila stated.
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