US embassy warns that Joburg’s richest suburb could be terror target
One of South Africa’s richest suburbs may be the target of a terrorist attack on Saturday, according to an alert posted on the website of the US Embassy.
“The US government has received information that terrorists may be planning to conduct an attack targeting large gatherings of people at an unspecified location in the greater Sandton area of Johannesburg, South Africa, on 29 Oct.,” the embassy said in the statement.
“There is no further information regarding the timing, method, or target of the potential attack.”
The embassy has advised its staff to avoid crowds of people and other large public gatherings in the specified area over the coming weekend.
Many of the biggest companies in South Africa, including financial services group FirstRand Ltd, chemicals company Sasol, insurer Discovery Ltd, Bank of America Corp, Citigroup Inc, law firms and international auditing firms such as EY have their headquarters in Sandton. There is also a multi-faceted retail space in the suburb, which attracts crowds of tourists and locals on weekends.
Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo didn’t answer his phone when Bloomberg called seeking comment.
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