CSO awaits forensic results on Glenhazel device

A waste picker who routinely collects rubbish in the Glenhazel area is believed to have placed the two devices, that led to panic and an area in Glenhazel being cordoned off last Friday, 24 October.  

This Wednesday, CAP and CSO confirmed that “the individual, understood to be a recycler, was located by CAP, with the assistance of SAPS [the South African Police], and subsequently detained for questioning on Wednesday, 29 October.” 

At this point, there’s no clear evidence of malicious intent and, according to CAP, his explanation has been verified, and police forensic analysis will provide final confirmation in due course. 

“During questioning, the individual explained that he had found a discarded black box, attempted to sell its components, and later discarded the remaining pieces,” said CAP. “This account has been verified, although final confirmation will depend on the outcome of ongoing police investigations.” 

However, CSO Chief Executive Liron Sanders said these devices cannot be dismissed as irrelevant or without malicious intent at this point. He said SAPS was still doing forensic testing on the remaining one of two identical devices to discover what they were. Sanders said they would know for certain what the person’s “intention was in behind putting the device there” only once the investigation was complete. 

“To my mind, it’s still a highly suspicious and concerning event,” he said. “And until we hear back from the bomb squad, we’re treating it as that.” 

The device in the photograph that was circulated appeared to resemble an explosive, CAP said that the object that “initially appeared highly suspicious, is now believed to be the internal components of a specialised product used for commercial purposes that was simply discarded and later picked up by the recycler, who further discarded parts he couldn’t sell for scrap value”. 

However, an expert who cannot be named, maintained that this should not easily be dismissed as “nothing” because very similar devices have been found elsewhere in South Africa and overseas and were definitely dangerous. 

The alert was initiated when 12-year-old Yeshiva College scholar Sara Perez, on her way home from school, spotted one of two suspicious devices outside KosherWorld, which resulted in CSO securing the area last Friday afternoon. 

“I was walking from school at about 15:00, and I was looking at a tree. I saw this thing on the floor that looked like a bomb,” said Sara. “My gut told me that it looked weird.” So, she rushed home to her mom and described it. “I drew a picture for her, and she notified the security guard at our school and CSO. Five minutes later, they started blocking the road.” 

Sara’s mother, Tziva, said, “I was proud of her suggestion to draw it for me, and immediately realised it was something to be concerned about.” 

As soon as CSO got the call from Perez, teams were dispatched to the scene and started closing off roads. 

Sanders said, “Our protectors who were at KosherWorld and Yeshiva were sent to investigate, while we simultaneously dispatched our response team.” 

They soon blocked off the road, evacuated KosherWorld and nearby complexes, and moved people to safety. Unsure if the devices could explode but aware any blast could be severe, CSO expanded the perimeter, and closed multiple surrounding roads before alerting police and security teams. 

Sanders described the devices as “tubular with wires and tape” and said they resembled an effective bomb. “At first, we didn’t know if the devices contained explosives, so we treated them as a real threat,” he said. 

The police were notified, and the Sandringham police sector vehicle arrived first on scene. From there, the provincial police arrived, as did the K9 unit, and the bomb squad. They found the two suspicious objects, one was safely detonated, and the other taken for investigation. The police noted in its initial investigation that there was no explosive material in the devices, but said it had to do proper forensic tests, according to Sanders. 

After the all-clear shortly before Shabbat came in last Friday, CSO and CAP launched a co-ordinated investigation using CCTV, video-enhancement, analytical tools, informers, and partnerships with SAPS and other law-enforcement agencies to determine who had placed the devices and why. 

“Multiple CAP teams canvassed footage and information from more than 50 homes across the greater Glenhazel area, reviewing hundreds of hours of video,” CAP said. “Through this combined work, a person of interest believed to be responsible for placing the objects was identified.” 

A shopper, who asked to remain anonymous, said she initially thought people were overreacting, but soon realised the gravity of the situation. “When I stepped outside, I realised it was very real,” she said. 

A Johannesburg psychologist driving to a beauty appointment in the area said that initially, she thought the roadblocks were due to an accident and walked into the scene. 

Inside the salon, she said, no one seemed concerned. “People knew about the devices but thought it was just a precaution, so we carried on as normal. I feel silly for not taking it seriously, but everyone was calm. When I later heard more details and sensed the panic, I realised I might have been in real danger.” 

Joel Back, the owner of KosherWorld, said that as soon as the news came through and they were ordered to evacuate, people left the store as they had been asked. 

“There was some nervousness and definitely concern. But fear was mitigated as the area was cordoned off and secured,” he said. 

Marian Nussbaum was shopping at KosherWorld just before CSO closed the store. She said she sensed something was wrong, but didn’t realise how serious it was and tried to finish quickly. “I wasn’t so much scared for our lives as anxious because no one knew what was happening. CSO assured us we were safe, but it was still frightening,” she said. 

A grandmother living opposite Yeshiva College said she was initially frustrated when road closures prevented her from leaving for Shabbat. “I was scared to leave my house once I heard there were potential bombs so close,” she said. 

Steven Sacks, the owner of RTG, said that though he and his customers were initially nervous, fear lingered even after learning that the devices couldn’t explode or cause harm as there was little to no clarity on what had actually happened. 

At 17:30, the CSO instructed responders that shul services should continue as usual. However, with Yeshiva College too close to the scene, Rabbis Alon Friedman and Yehoshua Asulin moved their Friday night services to the Bnei Akiva Bayit to keep the area clear. 

“Friday’s events serve as a powerful reminder of the vital partnership between our community and the various security and emergency organisations that work tirelessly to keep us safe,” Friedman said. “Thanks to this close co-operation, we were able to continue our regular tefillot, albeit at a temporary venue.” 

Sanders said that the whole procedure lasted about three hours, and by 18:30, the area was declared safe. 

Professor Karen Milner, the national chairperson of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, said, “The community mustn’t draw conclusions or overreact as we wait for the outcome of the investigation. Our communal leadership is committed to safeguarding this community in co-ordination with all the key bodies required to protect us.” 

Said Sanders, “Carry on as normal with a higher level of awareness. Leave it to the CSO to do what’s necessary to make sure you’re safe.”