“Threat or not, police are ready to safeguard all four major events hosted in South Africa, that’s their job. Whether the occasion is in KZN, Gauteng or Western Cape, police will be on hand to ensure all the planned events, including the handover ceremony in Durban, will be among the safest events,” said Cele, referring to President Cyril Ramaphosa's handover of a certificate recognising King Misuzulu kaZwelithini at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
De Wee arrived in Sandton just after 10am. Security guards, who had cordoned off a road leading to the Johannesburg Pride event, searched his belongings.
“Sandton is not as busy as it normally is on a Saturday morning,” he said.
“But there are people going into the mall as normal. There is a heavy police gathering outside Mandela Square. They look like they are about to be deployed. They are mixed: there are the normal police officers we normally see on the streets and special forces.”
De Wee estimated there were up to a hundred officers.
“I am not really sure, I might exaggerate. But there is a significant police presence,” he said.
Heavy police and security presence in Sandton after terror alert
Image: Denvor de Wee
Shoppers and Johannesburg Pride attendees went about their business in Sandton on Saturday. But it was an eerie experience for photographer Denvor de Wee as a heavy police contingent and armed security guards watched people's every move.
This after the US government warned its citizens on Wednesday to avoid the area. It said it had “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” on Saturday.
“There is no further information regarding the timing, method or target of the potential attack. The US embassy has advised staff to avoid crowds of people and other large public gatherings in the greater Sandton area of Johannesburg during the weekend of October 29-30,” it said.
On Friday, police minister Bheki Cele said police were ready to protect SA.
He told “invited attendees and revellers of the various events hosted during the coming weekend to rest assured knowing that all security measures are in place”.
EFF claims US embassy’s terrorist attack warning is a ‘plot to destabilise South Africa’
“Threat or not, police are ready to safeguard all four major events hosted in South Africa, that’s their job. Whether the occasion is in KZN, Gauteng or Western Cape, police will be on hand to ensure all the planned events, including the handover ceremony in Durban, will be among the safest events,” said Cele, referring to President Cyril Ramaphosa's handover of a certificate recognising King Misuzulu kaZwelithini at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
De Wee arrived in Sandton just after 10am. Security guards, who had cordoned off a road leading to the Johannesburg Pride event, searched his belongings.
“Sandton is not as busy as it normally is on a Saturday morning,” he said.
“But there are people going into the mall as normal. There is a heavy police gathering outside Mandela Square. They look like they are about to be deployed. They are mixed: there are the normal police officers we normally see on the streets and special forces.”
De Wee estimated there were up to a hundred officers.
“I am not really sure, I might exaggerate. But there is a significant police presence,” he said.
Image: Denvor de Wee
“When I saw them, it looked like they were being briefed and they were about to be deployed. But there are many private security officers, even inside the mall, who are carrying assault rifles.”
De Wee said some families seemed oblivious to the situation.
“Families were carrying on with their activities, going around with kids.
“I got here around 10am and the police presence was building up and they are more visible on the streets now. They are walking the streets.”
He said the Johannesburg Pride event is about 200m from Mandela Square, adding that the street had been cordoned off and stalls set up.
“There are security personnel and metro police. The security officers searched my bag when I got here.”
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