Swazi anthrax hoax galvanises couriers into action

MBABANE - Courier companies in Swaziland have introduced special measures against bioterrorism following an anthrax hoax that has created anxiety in the kingdom.
Chris Grobler, manager of Federal Express's Swaziland operations headquartered at the Matsapha Industrial Estate, says rubber gloves and surgical facemasks have been issued to workers.
"The equipment is being used by our employees only when they actually open and inspect some parcels," Grobler says.
Federal Express and DHL
are among the courier services that are disputing the testimony of James Mkhonta, public relations officer for the Swaziland Water Services Corporation, that a recent anthrax scare can be traced back to them. After an envelope filled with an unidentified white powder arrived at the Mbabane office of the water board last week, Mkhonta said, "The envelope was delivered by one of the international courier services, according to an eyewitness." Not an eyewitness himself, Mkhonta could not identify the service for FTW, and no one else at the water utility company could remember which service delivered the envelope.
Police took the envelope and its contents to Mbabane Government Hospital, where it tested negative for anthrax.
"We have records of all deliveries, where they go and who sent them," said a source at DHL. "We made no deliveries to the water board, but we doubt any courier service delivered a hoax package there. The Swaziland postal service probably delivered it. No prankster or terrorist would use a courier service that would allow the package to be traced back to its point of origin and to the sender's signature."
Fedex's Grobler says, "We are now security conscious, and we're on the lookout for suspicious items. There may be something from a customer unknown to us that raises a question."