Cape Town’s Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has confirmed that the Cape Town Metro Police are assisting the South African Police Service (SAPS) in investigating an alleged explosive device found at the Jewish Community Centre on 6 December 2024, Cape {town} Etc reports.
The incident, which took place at the centre on Hatfield Street, was reported to the mayor’s office on the same day. ‘My office received notification from SAPS of a report that an alleged explosive device had been thrown over the front wall of the Jewish Community Centre,’ said Hill-Lewis.
Since then, the Cape Town Metro Police have worked closely with SAPS to examine CCTV footage in an effort to determine the nature of the device. While SAPS has not yet confirmed the specifics of the device, the case has been handed over to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), signalling the seriousness with which authorities are treating the matter.
‘We are fully supporting SAPS in their investigation, and our Safety & Security Information Management Services (SSIMS) are coordinating the City’s assistance,’ said Hill-Lewis, emphasising that should the investigation confirm that the incident was an attempted attack on the Jewish Community Centre, it would be condemned in the ‘strongest possible terms.’
The mayor underscored Cape Town’s commitment to peaceful coexistence, stating that the city has a long history of being a safe haven for people of all faiths. ‘Cape Town is a city of peace-loving people, where differences of faith and opinion are expressed loudly and fully, but always peacefully,’ Hill-Lewis said. ‘Let us all commit ourselves to protecting and defending the best of that history.’
JP Smith, mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, also highlighted the importance of the City’s safety technologies in aiding investigations. ‘Through our investments in various safety technologies such as CCTV, Automatic Number Plate Recognition, gunfire detection, and eye-in-the-sky aerial surveillance, the City has been able to assist SAPS in recovering firearms, locating missing persons, and helping with investigations like this one,’ said Smith.
As the investigation continues, city officials and residents alike remain hopeful that the authorities will uncover the full details of the incident and ensure that Cape Town’s reputation as a peaceful and inclusive city remains intact.
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