By Anita Dangazele
- The Hawks are now running the Bloemfontein investigation after a second bomb hit a Woolworths store on Friday morning.
- Woolworths CEO Sam Ngumeni says no one was hurt in either blast but has brought in private forensic experts and tightened security across all its stores nationwide.
Two bombs. Two cities. Two nights in a row. South Africa’s elite Hawks unit is now investigating.
A device went off inside the Woolworths at Menlyn Park in Pretoria on Thursday between 1am and 2am. Less than 24 hours later, a second device exploded inside the Preller Square branch in Bloemfontein at around 3am on Friday. Both stores were closed when the blasts happened. Nobody was hurt in either incident.
Free State police handed the Bloemfontein case to the Hawks, the unit that handles serious and organised crime. Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Fikiswa Matoti confirmed investigators and an explosives unit were at the scene. Police were also checking whether a second device had been left anywhere in the building.
The shopping centre at Preller Square reopened, but the Woolworths section stayed sealed off.
Woolworths CEO Sam Ngumeni said the company had no information yet on what the devices were or who was behind the attacks.
“At this stage, no further information on the nature of the devices or the motive behind these attacks is available,” Ngumeni said.
He said the company had brought in private forensic experts and raised security across all its stores in South Africa. Staff affected by the blasts were receiving trauma support.
“An attack on our business is an attack on our values, and the millions of people we serve,” Ngumeni said.
“Our doors will stay open.”
Pictured above: The Woolworths store at Preller Square in Bloemfontein, sealed off after a bomb went off inside in the early hours of Friday morning.
Image source: Supplied
