Explosives, ammo found at old hotel in Western Cape

Citizen Online

Thursday, November 30, 2006

JOHANNESBURG - Police are still on the site of an old hotel in The Strand where explosives and ammunition were seized, said Western Cape police on Wednesday.

"They are still on the scene. They are still searching the scene," said Inspector Bernadine Steyn.

"Several civil commercial explosives as well as ammunition were found stored in boxes. We also confiscated magazines, detonators, cordtex, boosters, charges, igniter cord, fuseheads, fuses and blast indicators," said Steyn.

Nobody has been arrested.

Steyn said cases of illegal storage of legal explosives and illegal possession of ammunition were being investigated.
The explosives and ammunition were found on Tuesday at 3.50pm by members of the Strand police.

"Police acted on a tip-off received by a member of the public and searched a storage room in the rear side of the old hotel building."

The building, in Gordons Bay road in the Rusthof suburb of The Strand, is no longer used as a hotel.

Steyn would not release any details and Strand police would not comment.

Die Burger reported that a large amount of explosives was found at the site, identified as the Yellow Rose hotel.

The building, formerly known as the Harmony hotel, is now being used as a church.

A witness told Die Burger that police sniffer-dogs identified the explosives. Small square parcels as well as red metal crates similar to those in which ammunition was stored, were removed from the building by the police from 3pm on Tuesday.
Several police vehicles cordoned off the area late into the night.

Many residents in the Rusthof neighbourhood had numerous complaints about the building. Children were often seen there.

According to neighbours, people and cars often moved in and out of the premises at night. It was also alleged that senior police members sometimes spent the whole day there.

Bold van Rhyn, 39, believed whatever happened in parts of the building was drug-related. Other residents alleged that this part of the building was occupied by a sect. "People, including children, run around in the night with flags, shouting slogans."

There were also allegations of child slaves and pornography. The police did not want to comment on any of these allegations or the reasons for the raid.

Die Burger's photographer was requested by ex-inmates, who were housed by the church, to leave the premises.

Another part of the building was occupied by a car tyre service.

A representative of the church, who introduced herself as Bishop Lilian Rex, said: "The police will issue a statement tomorrow. Why don't you wait for it?" She didn't want to comment about whether children were being housed on the same premises as explosives.

The church also ran an art gallery on the premises.

The building was apparently owned by Chinese citizens who are presently abroad. - Sapa.