Explosives Blunder: Soweto Looting Spree Turns Dangerous as Polony Turns Out to be Bombs

In a bizarre turn of events during a recent bout of service delivery protests, residents of Diepkloof Hostel in Soweto unwittingly found themselves caught in a dangerous predicament after mistakenly looting dangerous explosives, believing them to be polony. The incident has left both authorities and social media users astounded by the comical mix-up.

The chaotic scene unfolded on Wednesday as the N1 and Chris Hani Road in Soweto became congested due to a service delivery protest. Seizing the opportunity, residents of Diepkloof Hostel swooped in, assuming they had stumbled upon a jackpot of food supplies. However, their jubilation soon turned to bewilderment and fear as they realized their loot was anything but palatable.

Community leader Sbongiseni Khoza recounted the hilarious misunderstanding to News24, explaining that “opportunists” had made off with a peculiar white, gel-like substance that emitted a putrid odor. Convinced it was polony, they made their way home, only to discover that the loot was labeled “explosive.” Panic ensued, prompting them to hastily surrender their ill-gotten gains to the authorities.

They didn’t read. They realised [when they were back] in their homes that it was labelled ‘explosive’. They started to panic and surrendered it to the authorities, who raided the hostel to recover them. They could have died,” he said.

In response to the escalating situation, the police took swift action, raiding the hostel and kicking down doors in search of the pilfered explosives. Their efforts proved fruitful as they managed to retrieve most of the stolen items, averting a potential disaster.

Police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo shed light on the hazardous mix-up, revealing that the explosives were initially mistaken for polony due to their deceptive appearance. From a distance, the items bore an uncanny resemblance to the beloved lunchtime staple. However, upon closer inspection, it became clear that they were, in fact, commercial explosives typically used in mining operations.

“The information we have for now is that these are commercial explosives used in the mines. We suspect that the community was not aware because from a distance they look like polony. They thought it was polony, only to find out they were dangerous explosives,” he said.

While the majority of the community dutifully returned the explosives, concerns lingered regarding those still unaccounted for. Masondo expressed apprehension about the possible dangers of harboring such volatile materials within the hostel and urged residents to promptly surrender any remaining items to the authorities.

News of the incident spread like wildfire on social media, eliciting a range of reactions from amused South Africans. Twitter was ablaze with laughter, with many struggling to fathom how such a mistaken identity could occur. The comedic element of the story was not lost on netizens, who likened the events to a scene out of a Road Runner cartoon.

-iHarare-