By Augustine Ehikioya
With the commencement of the November 1st Local Government Elections, the South Africa Police Service has warned that it will deal mercilessly with any troublemaker.
Before the election day, there have been pockets of election related demonstrations while some voting stations have been padlocked by disgruntled community members.
But in a statement by the Police Ministry Spokesperson, Lirandzu Themba, and made available to Security Watch Africa (SWA) on Monday, the Police assured that the Local Government Elections will go on in a safe and secure environment.
The statement said “The Police Ministry is confident that despite pockets of election related demonstrations and in some cases, voting stations being padlocked by disgruntled community members, the November 1 Local Government Elections will go ahead in a safe and secure environment.
“Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele visited the Kwa-Zulu Natal Province on the eve of Election Day on Sunday, 31 October, 2021, to assess the state of readiness of the South African Police Services’ ability to ensure a safe election.
“This visit comes off the back of his visit to the Mpumalanga Province on Saturday 30 October, 2021, for the same purpose.
“In both Provinces, Minister Cele was taken through the SAPS local government elections deployment plan, focusing on how Police will deal with all eventualities, especially at identified hot-spot areas.
“The Kwa-Zulu Natal Province which boasts 4006 voting stations has 128 stations placed in the high-risk category.”
The Police Minister, the statement said, is sure that the SAPS in the various Provinces including KZN and Mpumalanga, have put measures in place to “ensure the safety of voters, IEC officials, and the public in general.”
“These Provinces have received additional SAPS officers ahead of the elections and not only that, law enforcement agencies including the SANDF will be working hand in glove with Police as force multipliers.
“The Provinces have put together solid plans informed by intelligence driven analysis and this gives me confidence that those plans will result in citizens casting their votes freely, with little to no disruptions.”
Minister Cele adds that the four Provinces with areas of concern, are under lock and key.
“In areas where IEC officials are not able to perform their duties due to safety fears and threats from communities, SAPS officers who have been trained by the Electoral Commission remain on standby to take over from these officers at voting stations.
“This is already the case in the Ugu district in KZN where election related violence broke out and resulted in the injury of a Police officer from a gunshot to the leg in Mistake Farm. While Police will be on hand to ensure voting goes ahead as planned, they will not be letting their guard down in policing other crimes,” Cele concluded.
The statement also disclosed that the heightened deployment in identified areas during Election Day, will remain in place, until the election results are announced on 04 November, 2021.