Overview
- Two improvised explosive devices detonated at Woolworths branches during early morning closures, with an explosion at Menlyn Park in Pretoria on Thursday and a second blast at Preller Square in Bloemfontein on Friday.
- Specialist police units, including Bomb Disposal, K9 and Crime Scene Management teams, responded to both scenes and the Hawks are now leading the active investigation with no suspects or motive publicly identified.
- Woolworths has contracted forensic experts, deployed bomb‑sniffing dogs to stores nationwide and shared images of K9 sweeps on social media as part of a stepped-up security and intelligence effort.
- The Menlyn Park store has reopened while the Preller Square branch remains closed for ongoing forensic work, and Woolworths says it is providing trauma support to shaken staff.
- The incidents raise broader questions about retail security and emergency response procedures, and authorities and the retailer warn customers that forensic examinations and investigations are continuing.