Police reveal plan to keep elections safe

The SAPS and the Tshwane metro police department (TMPD) have announced their operational plans for the upcoming National General Elections to ensure a safe and peaceful environment.

During a media briefing on Sunday, the deputy national commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, stated that the national joint operations and intelligence structure (Natjoints) had put measures in place for the upcoming elections on May 29.

Mosikili said the first operational phase of the safety measures commenced on May 22, ahead of the elections.

She said the police would initiate the activation of the Natjoints co-ordination centre to monitor and respond to any security threats, which will run until June 9.

“To guarantee a quick, efficient, and well-coordinated response, the centre will act as a primary point of contact for information co-ordination and incident reporting,” she said.

Mosikili explained that all operations related to major events in the country, such as the national and provincial elections, will be managed from the centre.

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She added that there will be a two-phase plan for the elections.

“The first phase, which is currently underway, focuses on securing voter registrations, policing gatherings and demonstrations, and intensifying visibility and crime prevention in hotspot areas,” she said.

She said the second phase is set to start on May 27 and includes safeguarding election warehouses, escorting voter materials and IEC workers, and deployments at voting locations.

Community Safety MMC Grandi Theunissen said the TMPD would support the SAPS to ensure that voters are safe during the elections.

Theunissen added that the TMPD would be responsible for transporting ballot papers to various voting stations in Pretoria.

He said that Tshwane police officers will also offer additional support to the SAPS at voting stations to secure the voting process.

“We have identified approximately 29 potential hotspot areas in Tshwane and have put in place additional security measures to prevent and respond to any potential violence that might erupt,” he said.

According to Mosikili, the role of law enforcement agencies during the voting days is to:

– Maintain law and order
– Providing escorts to voting stations and warehouses
– Accompanying mobile voting stations
– Ensure no firearms and dangerous weapons are allowed at voting stations
– Assist presiding officers by removing anyone who fails to comply with rules that infringe on the rights of voters within the voting station.
– Assist the presiding officer to ensure no political activity takes place within the boundaries of the voting station.
– Assist the presiding officer in removing any person behaving in an inappropriate and undesirable manner from the voting station.
– Ensuring that those who have been banned from the voting station (for any bad behaviour) do not attempt to enter the voting station.
– Accompany the presiding officer to deliver ballot boxes and other election material to the counting station.
– Ensure the voting station and surroundings are secure by assisting presiding officers with monitoring the boundaries of the voting station.
– Ensuring that no person, either than voters or persons authorised to enter or remain, is within the boundaries of the voting station.
– Assisting to ensure safety and security at the voting station prevails until the counting and wrapping-up procedures have been completed.
– Assisting the presiding officer in enforcing the electoral code of conduct in respect of the following: undue influence, impersonation, intentional false statements, and infringement of secrecy.

Mosikili stated that they will continue to work with key role players to monitor and attend to any new developments.

She urged everyone to work together to create a safe environment where individuals can cast their votes and return home safely.

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