Durban - Political heavyweights and national police have called for calm as two potentially explosive improvised devices were found near Greyville Racecourse, where the Vodacom Durban July was being held, on Saturday. A similar device was found at the Gateway shopping centre bringing the total to five devices that have been discovered since last week Thursday.
Thami Ngidi, a spokesperson for KZN Premier Willies Mchunu, said people should not panic. “The events have shocked the premier and he has condemned the elements that seek to destabilise the province,” he said.
An inter-ministerial task team that was appointed to look at some of the political violence that has been plaguing the province will also be looking into the bombings, Ngidi said. The task team consists of the SAPS, Department of Home Affairs and Correctional Services, among others. “We would like all people of KwaZulu-Natal to be calm,” he said.
Deputy mayor Fawzia Peer said people should not jump to conclusions and called for calm. “Let the security people do their investigations,” she said. Peer, the chairperson of eThekwini Municipality Security and Emergency Committee, said all citizens should do their bit in ensuring a safe environment for everyone - it was not a job solely for law enforcement agencies.
SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo called for cool heads. “None of these incidents have resulted in serious injuries or fatalities. People should not be alarmed. We are working tirelessly to get to the bottom of this and to get to the motive of the people responsible,” he said.
Naidoo added that there was a difference between a bomb and something that appeared to be a bomb. He said the devices found at the Imam Hussain Mosque, Woolworths, at Marriot Road and at the corner of Avondale and Milner Road, were not bombs. “They are improvised devices,” he said.
On Thursday, the Daily News reported that devices had been found at Woolworths stores at the Gateway and Pavilion shopping centres. Customers and staff were evacuated. A police officer at the scene confirmed that the device found at the Pavillion store was an incendiary device and not a bomb.
The Daily News also found that the device had been detonated overnight. Michelle Shelley, a spokesperson for Gateway, confirmed the incident on Saturday.
“Authorities, as well as store and centre operations teams, were called in to investigate and assist with the matter. The store was evacuated as the safety of our shoppers and staff is of utmost importance to Gateway and the retail outlet concerned.”
She said the device that went off on Thursday at Gateway was small and did damage the size of a shoebox. Kirsten Hewett, a Woolworths spokesperson, said the company took the incidents very seriously and had put measures in place which she could not disclose. Hewett said at the moment it was unclear what the motives for the attacks were, as investigations were still underway.