The residents of Brackenfell were set on edge once again on Wednesday, November 11 after a school in the area was evacuated as a result of a bomb threat. The call was reportedly made just before midday, and teachers and students of Protea Heights Academy were quickly escorted off school premises to ensure their safety.
Since then, it has emerged that the incident was nothing but a hoax, as no devices were found on the premises when security teams did a search.
“SJC Security teams have been deployed to the Protea Heights Academy in Protea Heights, Brackenfell after the school experienced a bomb scare and evacuated the learners and teachers from the building. Please note that the area has been put on lockdown and the police are on site. All learners are safe and accounted for,” SJC security said at the time of the evacuation.
According to Bronagh Hammond, a spokesperson for the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED), the fake bomb threat incident has been deemed an “unacceptable disruption” by the Department. Those involved may face jail time, she said.
“The learners were evacuated and SAPS and the bomb squad called in. The rumours that a device had been found is false. Nothing was found. The WCED takes any such disruption to schools extremely seriously,” Hammond said. “Anyone traced to such acts could face jail time. We will engage with SAPS on this matter as it’s simply unacceptable and could have very serious consequences for some of our learners.”
The suburb has been in some turmoil in recent weeks, as members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) clashed with parents from Brackenfell High School. The EFF protested outside the school after it was revealed that a private matric ball, arranged by the parent of a matric student, was arranged and no black students were invited.
The WCED is also investigating the school, as it has been brought to light that no black teachers have been hired there since 1994. Currently, there are two coloured and 40 white teachers in the employ of the school.
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Picture: WCED