Shoppers and staff who were hastily evacuated from Southgate Mall in Johannesburg were allowed back inside after police confirmed on Friday that there was no bomb on the premises.
Provincial police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele confirmed earlier that an unknown device had been found at the mall and that checks were being conducted to determine whether it was a bomb.
“We checked everywhere and can verify that there was no bomb. Shops and services are all back to normal‚” said Makhubele in an updated statement on Friday afternoon.
A witness‚ Themba Shivambu said: “I was just shopping around when I heard sirens and people asking us to exit the mall. I was shocked but not scared.”
Nthabiseng Sekhwale said she had feared for her life but was grateful nothing happened. “I ran for my life‚ thought the mall was about to explode like it normally happens in the movies‚” she said.
Security personnel said earlier that the mall had been evacuated after a suspicious device was spotted.
Several stores have been evacuated in recent weeks in KwaZulu-Natal after rudimentary incendiary devices were discovered at Woolworths outlets.
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