Swift response leads to recovery of explosives and looted items during protest

GAUTENG – Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has commended Law Enforcement Agencies that responded swiftly to recover the explosives that were looted during service delivery protest in Soweto on Wednesday, 14 June 2023. The residents of Diepkloof Hostel in Soweto embarked on a service delivery protest whereby they blockaded the N1 Highway and Chris Hani Road in the early hours of the morning. The protesters stopped and looted two trucks that were loaded with groceries and explosives before running back into the hostel.

Members of SAPS and Johannesburg Metro Police Department, Public Order Police, National Intervention Unit, Tactical Response Team, K-9, Local Criminal Record Centre, Bomb-Disposal, District Visible Policing, and Airwing responded swiftly to recover the looted goods, especially the explosives due to the danger that they posed to the residents. A search was conducted at the hostel, with the help of community leaders (Izinduna). The Provincial Commissioner has appreciated the working relationship that the SAPS continues to have with Izinduna and all community structures in the fight against crime. The police have opened a case of public violence and no arrests have been made yet.