Cape Town Central police registered an intimidation case for investigation after a bomb threat was made to the Al-Azhar Mosque in District Six on Sunday.
According to police, a message was sent via cellular telephone about a bomb threat. The incident’s circumstances are under investigation, and no arrests have been made yet.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has condemned the incident as says his office has been in contact with police, who confirmed they are investigating a case of intimidation. Hill-Lewis added that he condemns the sinister motives behind the threatening message.
“Cape Town is a city of peace-loving people, where differences of faith and opinion are expressed loudly and fully, but always peacefully. Our city has a long and proud history of being a safe city for people of all religions to live and express their faith and traditions.”
In a statement, Hill-Lewis added that Capetonians of every faith and creed have lived side by side for generations and always show kindness, unity and generosity towards one another.
“Let us all commit ourselves to protecting and defending the best of that history.”
The mayor has urged all residents to work together to reject extremism and zealotry of any sort. Hill-Lewis also called on all faith communities to stand united in condemning such acts and to use their platforms to preach tolerance in a plural society.
This is reportedly the second incident of such nature, after an explosive device was thrown over the front wall of the Jewish Community Centre in Hatfield Street in December 2024.
The mayor has called on SAPS to prioritise these investigations to ensure those responsible are brought to justice and added that the City is actively supporting the investigation at the request of SAPS. Teams from the Safety & Security Investigative Unit and K9 unit have joined efforts to probe the incident.
“I have further referred this incident to Disaster Risk Management and the SSIU in terms of our joint Safer Places of Worship project,” said JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.
Faith-based political party, Al Jama-ah, have also called on police to act swiftly to catch the perpetrators and that regular updates on investigations be made known.
The party says it is confident that South Africa’s National Intelligence Agency and the police will find the culprits.
“The threat to bomb the mosque is an act of supporting the Zionist Israeli entity, and this is clearly a contravention of the Rome Statute,” says Al Jama-ah’s leader and Deputy Minister of Social Development, Ganief Hendricks
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