Subscribe

Sanral hit by another anthrax scare

Bonnie Tubbs
By Bonnie Tubbs, ITWeb telecoms editor.
Johannesburg, 24 Jan 2014
Sanral spokesperson Vusi Mona said this week's anthrax scare bordered on a serious crime.
Sanral spokesperson Vusi Mona said this week's anthrax scare bordered on a serious crime.

The SA National Roads Agency's (Sanral's) Central Operations Centre (COC) in Midrand was evacuated for the second time in four days today after another suspicious substance was found on the premises.

While the evacuation has been confirmed by the agency's PR company, a statement is yet to be released and as such details of the second threat are sketchy at this stage.

It is believed today's scare mirrors the one on Tuesday, when an envelope with white powder - feared at the time to be anthrax - was found in the building.

The substance responsible for the evacuation earlier this week was found to be harmless. This, after the entire building was vacated and the electricity turned off.

On Wednesday Sanral spokesperson said: "Upon investigation, the white substance was found to be harmless. The building was treated as a crime scene and staff members who were exposed to the substance in the envelope were taken to hospital, as a pre-cautionary measure, for medical examinations."

He condemned the stunt as "tantamount to sabotage and [bordering] on a very serious crime".

Sanral's COC houses all systems and operations for the Gauteng Freeway Management System - including the controversial e-toll system, which went live just over six weeks ago. The large government building has been described by transport department spokesperson Tiyani Rikhotso as "the heartbeat of the e-toll project".

Update

After news of the second scare at Sanral's COC broke, the agency sent out two statements - the first assuring motorists that the e-toll system as such had not been affected, and the second expressing disappointment at the incident.

Sanral CEO Nazir Alli voiced his concern via the second statement, saying: "Sanral is extremely worried about the impact this kind of behaviour has on the people who work at the centre. Most of them are first-time workers and relatively young.

"Whoever is not happy about a government policy has appropriate channels to express their dissatisfaction. It is a callous person that engages in such activities and groups that incite lawlessness that encourage such cruel acts should be aware of the consequences of their actions.

"We appeal to people's sense of citizenship. Yes, citizens are active and entitled to dissent within the context of a constitutional democracy.

"Those who have chosen to show their dissent by sending these powdery substances to our centre are showing an unfortunate conception of citizenship. They should pause and reflect if they would wish their own family members to be subjected to the anxiety and fear caused to the employees at the centre."

Alli said it was unfortunate that every time there is such an incident, public resources have to be deployed - and possibly diverted - from areas where they could be needed.

Sanral confirmed that the impact of this second evacuation was limited to disrupting the call centre only. "All other systems are automated and redundancies are in place."

Share