SAPS Deploys Task Team to Investigate Woolworths Explosions
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has deployed its National Forensic Task Team and Crime Intelligence specialists to investigate a series of recent explosions at Woolworths stores in Gauteng and the Free State.
Acting National Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane, authorised the elite intervention to determine if the multi-province blasts are connected and to identify those responsible.
The separate explosions hit branches in Pretoria and Bloemfontein within days of each other, pushing national law enforcement agencies onto heightened alert.
SAPS spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, confirmed that detectives are still gathering evidence and analysing information from both crime scenes.
“Investigations are currently at a very early stage, and all possible motives are being explored by investigators,” Mathe said.
No arrests have been made, and police have not yet disclosed whether the incidents form part of a coordinated operation or are entirely unrelated events.
The blasts have raised significant concern among shoppers and businesses, particularly given the targeting of a major retail brand across two provinces within a short period.
In response, authorities have strongly cautioned the public against drawing premature conclusions while forensic examinations and intelligence assessments continue.
Police stressed that there is currently no evidence to classify the incidents as acts of terrorism.
SAPS indicated that any further security measures will be guided strictly by findings emerging from the ongoing probe and subsequent risk assessments conducted by security experts.
For now, investigators continue to follow all available leads as they work to uncover the circumstances surrounding the explosions.
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