The police have not eliminated the possibility that a right-wing group might be behind the blasts overnight in Soweto, Safety and Security Ministry Charles Nqakula told a media briefing on Wednesday.
”We are not eliminating anything, and we are looking at every possibility, including what you mention,” Nqakula told journalists at the Protea police station.
”In the first instance, these are criminals who have committed this crime. We are doing a profile of people who might be involved. As I indicated our investigation is very exhaustive and broad.”
Nqakula declined to elaborate on a statement by on National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi that police had been alerted to two white males ”acting suspiciously” leaving the area of one of the blasts.
”We don’t want to divulge information that will impact inadvertently on investigation,” Nqakula said.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Selebi told Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa): ”We think we know who did this.”
Nqakula said the police had not received any threats prior to the blasts.
Nqakula, Justice Minister Penuell Maduna and Intelligence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu arrived in Soweto on Wednesday morning to inspect the site of the nine blasts which left one person dead and another critically injured.
During the briefing, Maduna announced that he had just heard that a tenth blast had been reported in Bronkhorstspruit outside Pretoria. No other details were available.
After the briefing, the three ministers were due to take a tour of the blast sites, including the mosque in Dlamini which was damaged by one of the explosions.
Buses had been arranged for the huge contingent of media who had gathered at the police station. – Sapa