UPDATE: Two projectiles and a mortar discovered near school

Police rushed to Pretoria West high school on Tuesday morning after more projectiles were discovered near the school.

Gauteng police spokesperson, Captain Tsekiso Mofokeng said a security guard working at the high school spotted three men carrying bags.

“The security guard was suspicious of the men and stopped them. The men then threw the carrybags on the ground and fled.”

Mofokeng said the guard called the police who called the explosive unit and two projectiles and one mortar were discovered.

“We have not opened a case as we are still busy with investigating what happened this morning. We are appealing once again to the community to help us with any information regarding the incident this morning.”

A school staff member told Rekord that the school was searched and was declared safe by the police.

On Tuesday, Mofokeng said that the police have opened an inquest of murder and are still investigating how the two men at the scrap metal dealership in Rebecca Street, Pretoria-West, got hold of the projectiles of which one exploded on Monday.

Fifteen military projectiles were found at the scrap metal dealership where an explosion left a man dead and another seriously injured. Mofokeng said some of the additional projectiles were found on the premises and some were in a bag that was found abandoned a few meters away from the dealership.

The man who died was apparently busy cutting a projectile open when it exploded. Police experts were still busy at lunch time combing the scene, which had been declared unsafe.

Residents had in the past complained about the scrap metal dealership and other businesses on the same property, to no avail.

“We have complained to the Tshwane metro and the police about the property where the scrap metal dealership is, but nothing was done about it. This is a big mess. There was a fight before the explosion and after the explosion some guys ran out of the dealership with a bag that also allegedly had projectiles in it,” said a local, Mohammed Bhamjee.

Resident Frank Mangale said he heard a loud bang and he felt the roof shaking.

Annie Alho, owner of the nearby crèche, Annie’s Coolkidz, thanked Laerskool Simon Bekker for taking her children in. “The children started to panick when we evacuated the premises after the explosion. Most parents were called to come fetch the children from the school.”

Residents complained about vehicles parking on the sidewalk of the scrap metal dealership and a shop that was allegedly built illegally on the property.

Alho said that when she went to check on her son who lives next to the scrap metal dealership, she almost walked over the brains of the man that was killed in the explosion.

“It is a pity police only did something about this property after such a tragedy. Had something been done earlier about the premises this would not have happened,” Alho said.

According to Erick Cordier, a close-by neighbour, he was in his house when he heard an explosion. Cordier said the man who was killed in the explosion was working on the site when the explosion occurred.

“When I got outside, the man had been blown to pieces. It was a terrible sight,” Cordier said.

An upset resident, Roger Alho said: “There are children walking close to the property every day. There could have been more fatalities had the children walked by at the time of the explosion.” Alho lives next to the property where the projectile exploded. “If this explosion had happened in America or England, one would have thought it was a terrorist attack, but in South Africa what do we call it? Neglect.”

Schooling at Laerskool Simon Bekker was disrupted as children from Annie’s Coolkidz were kept at the school for safety. Deputy principal of the primary school, Jimmy Roberts, said the school was closed for the rest of Monday. They had told parents about the situation and most of them fetched the children from school.

Police are appealing to community members to help them with any information as to how the men could have gotten hold of the projectiles. Residents claim to have seen military vans coming to the scrapyard to deliver items. Some speculate that the projectiles could have been bought from the military.

Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga spokesperson of the SANDF said they are not aware of the allegations from the community about military trucks being seen regularly at the scrap metal dealership.

He however said that the SANDF would like not to comment on the matter as yet, as it is still under police investigation.

“The matter is under the SAPS and we would like to assist them with anything they will be needing regarding the matter.”

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Also read:

Explosion: Scene cleared

Explosion: More projectiles found

VIDEO: Area evacuated following explosion

One dead, one injured after explosion