Gauteng’s security cluster presents beefed up measures to safeguard elections

Gauteng’s provincial legislature approved a host of safety measures to ensure the smooth running of elections on 29 May.

The Gauteng Department of Community Safety and the provincial police commissioner presented their plans to manage the safety and logistical challenges of the nation’s defining public participatory exercise.

Their roles on the day will include managing traffic, ensuring road safety, escorting ballot papers, increasing police visibility and preventing crime.

The province’s situational analysis stated that Johannesburg and Tshwane alone had a combined 1 567 voting stations, which required monitoring.

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The other three regions comprising the province, Sedibeng, West Rand and Ekurhuleni, contribute another 1 230 voting stations.  

As for safeguarding ballots, there at 47 warehouses across the province that law enforcement will be escorting the ballots to and from.

Operational plan based on five pillars

The Department of Community Safety has evaluated the direct risks posed to the electoral process by actions stemming from interest groups, gang violence or labour related matters.  

They have devised a five pillared strategy, with pillar one based on intelligence and analysis conducted by Crime Intelligence, the State Security Agency and the IEC.

Pillar two takes a pro-active approach featuring each police stations’ Visible Policing Units, with pillar three’s combative approach being the responsibility of Public Order Policing Units.

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Pillars four and five are focused on post-election fallout, responding to any incidents through investigations, prosecutions and the relaying of relevant outcomes through corporate communications.

“Given the high crime rate in Gauteng, which is South Africa’s largest voting province, the committee had expressed concerns about the impact this might have on the upcoming elections.

“Following these presentations, the committee expressed confidence in the ability of the law enforcement agencies in Gauteng to effectively manage any threats to the election process,” stated Bandile Masuku, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety.

WATCH: Provincial law enforcement present plan to safeguard elections

Province warns against any disruptions

Police and the department promised that law enforcement would be on the highest level of alert, warning that any criminal activities related to election disruptions will be dealt with firmly and legally.

Stressing the desire to create an environment conducive to democratic participation, Masuku concluded:

“[We] encourage all registered voters in Gauteng to turn out in large numbers to exercise their hard-earned constitutional right to vote for the political party of their choice.”