The province has remained on high alert as police and private security companies fear a repeat of the 2021 July riots when former president Jacob Zuma’s supporters went on a rampage after he was incarcerated. Zuma and supporters of his newly-formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party are disgruntled over the election results and have accused the Independent Electoral Commission of rigging the numbers.

South African Police Service national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the latest deployment was in support of the the NATJOINTS safety and security 2024 National and Provincial Elections plan (NPE).

“This is the third deployment of additional police officers to KwaZulu-Natal covering the pre, during and post elections phase to maintain stability throughout the province.”

“The province of KwaZulu-Natal has been relatively stable thus far owing to the well-planned, coordinated, and executed PROVJOINTS operational plan,” she said.  

The first group of more than 200 members was deployed early in May while the second contingency of over 300 were deployed during the elections period.

“The latest deployment of more than 300 POP members is meant to bolster policing operations in the post elections phase.”

“The NATJOINTS NPE operational plan has entered its third phase. In this phase, law enforcement agencies monitor activities related to the outcome of the elections results. This means deployments remain in place at various places of interest and law enforcement agencies are ready for any emerging incidents,” said Mathe.

Speaking at a send-off parade, General Fannie Masemola said the continuous deployments in some areas formed part of the SAPS operational strategy to maintain stability throughout the country.

“We have delivered the 2024 NPE elections in a stable environment. Voters were able to exercise their democratic right without fear or favour, we will continue to respond accordingly to prevent and combat criminality. We thank voters and communities for thus far conducting themselves in an orderly and responsible manner. We hope this will prevail. Those who step out of line, will be dealt with,” he said.

The officers will also be deployed to the Tongaat area to assist with ensuring the safety and security of those who are affected by the tornado.

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While the Institute for Security Studies has predicted that the polls were unlikely to result in widespread violence, it said there are legitimate concerns about outbreaks of violence during or after the elections:

“The largest recent outbreak of mass violence in South Africa was triggered by former president Jacob Zuma’s supporters in response to his July 2021 incarceration. The rioting and looting left over 300 people dead and thousands jobless, wiping R50 billion from the economy. So when members of the new uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, whose most prominent campaigner is Zuma, openly threaten mass violence if they don’t get their way, there’s reason to worry. But could violence on the scale of that experienced in July 2021 recur?”

The inability of law enforcement agencies to swiftly contain the July 2021 unrest and protect lives and property underscored a systemic failure that cannot be ignored as SA approaches the general elections later this month.

One of the most concerning aspects of the unrest was the lack of preparedness in terms of intelligence gathering and early warning systems. The rapid escalation of violence and looting caught authorities off guard, leading to a breakdown of law and order in many areas.

Three weeks ago Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise assured South Africans that the elections would be held in a safe and secure environment.
This assurance is based on intelligence-led planning and operations, a critical aspect that was lacking in July 2021.

The significance of robust crime intelligence often takes a back seat in political discussions. Crime intelligence is not just about solving crimes after they occur; it plays a pivotal role in preventing criminal activities, safeguarding democracy, ensuring public safety, and upholding the rule of law.

By proactively gathering intelligence on potential security risks, taking preventive measures, and now reassessing security risks, police can help create the safe and secure environment that Modise promises.

For this to happen, police need to have the necessary resources, expertise, and independence to carry out their mandate effectively. This includes investing in training programs for intelligence officers, enhancing collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, leveraging technology and data analytics for intelligence gathering, and ensuring transparency and accountability in the operations of crime intelligence units.

The readiness of the Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security (JCPS) Cluster, the enlisting of more than 350 private security companies to assist pre and post-election, and the reassurance by the state may suggest that violence is unlikely, however, police must stay on the top of things.

Manhar Parshotam is the co-founder of Dragon Protection Services

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Addressing 3000 commissioned officers in Durban on Tuesday, KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said police officers must never align themselves with politics.

“We are a few weeks away from 29 May 2024, the Election Day in the Republic of South Africa. With that in mind, we took the opportunity to address police officers about the expectations from the people of this province and the country at large. As police officers we have a mandate to create a safe and secure environment for the inhabitants of this country.”

“We have to deliver on that mandate even during the election period. Police officers must be apolitical and neutral at all times. Police officers must and will treat all political parties equally and without favouritism,” he said.

As police officers, we serve South Africans through the government of the day. If the political landscape changes after the 29 May, there will still be the South African Police Service, and police officers will serve in that administration as if nothing has changed.

Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi

Mkhwanazi said police officers cannot campaign for any political party, or be seen to be an active member of any political party.

“The participation of police officers in the politics of the country is when they go to cast their votes for their preferred political party or independent candidates.”

“Just like all South Africans, police officers do have the right to vote, but other than that, their responsibility remains that of ensuring that whoever wants to go and vote do so in a safe and secure environment.”

He said officers are duty-bound to prevent, combat and investigate crime and not participate in active politics.

“Police officers who want to be politicians are more than welcomed to surrender the blue uniform of authority and wear a coloured t-shirt of their choice. You just cannot be a police officer and a politician at the same time. One of those interests must fall.”

“We have had incidents during the local government elections where some police officers were found to have campaigned to become councillors whilst still in the employ of the South African Police Service.”

“That oversight will never happen again and should it happen, proportional disciplinary steps will be taken expeditiously,” said Mkhwanazi.

He said the SAPS in KwaZulu-Natal was ready to police in the electioneering period.

“Our operational plans at all levels are already in motion and so far the province is stable.  We are not going to talk definite numbers of deployment for operational reasons, but over 17000 police officers in the province, with the personnel capacitation from the national head office will be on the ground maintaining law and order, peace and stability.”

“We have policed elections in the past and we are prepared to execute our responsibilities during the 2024 elections.”

“KwaZulu-Natal seems to be a fertile hunting ground for political parties and we would like to assure residents of KwaZulu-Natal that police are out there to create peace of mind for them.”

“Our plea is for politicians to ensure that intra and inter-political differences do not escalate to the commission of crimes such as murders and other violent crimes. We have seen enough bloodshed due to intolerance in the political sphere,” said Mkhwanazi.

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Further impetus to the free and fair aspect of voting day comes from the African Union Commission (AUC) which will deploy an observation mission to South Africa. The 60-strong mission will be led by former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and will touch down in South Africa eight days ahead of the 29 May polling date. The AUC mission will exit South Africa on 3 June.

Post an oversight visit to the IEC, presumably at its Centurion headquarters, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affair (PCHA) said it was “confident” the processes in place would see to it the election for national and provincial publicly elected representatives lived up to the “free and fair” reputation.

“The interactions held reaffirmed the confidence the committee has in the IEC as a prime institution that is capable of delivering on its constitutional mandate. The processes in place, the technological advances and training undertaken are testament to the credibility of the institution to run these elections,” committee chair Mosa Chabane is reported as saying in a Parliamentary Communication Service statement.

While at the IEC the committee saw demonstrations of voter management devices and is confident they will “enhance” voting.

Nocks Seabi, Portfolio Committee on Police (PCP) chair, is reported as saying co-ordinated and intelligence-led planning and operations are in place to secure the 2024 provincial and national elections. The plan covers before, during, and after elections. His comments come in a statement issued after the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster briefing led by Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise.

“It is important that operations are intelligence led to ensure threats are dealt with swiftly. Also of importance is collaboration with communities through the sharing of information to enable the security agencies to respond timeously,” he is reported as saying.

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Read more here.

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A total of 17000 police officers will be deployed in KwaZulu-Natal when South Africans head to the polls in May.

“One of the tasks you gave us is to prevent, investigate and combat
crime and most importantly, to enforce the law. If you violate the law, if you
break the law, ours is to enforce,” said provincial police commissioner
Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on Wednesday.

He said the SA Police Service and security cluster as a whole in
KwaZulu-Natal were planning to deploy “no less than 17 000 law enforcement officers
to police these elections.”

Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was speaking at an Independent Electoral Commission event
where political leaders signed the code of conduct and pledged to ensure a
democratic and peaceful general election, free from any form of violence,

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said more than 20000 people died “as
a result of internecine political violence in KwaZulu-Natal, from the late
1980s to way beyond the democratic moment in 1994.”

“We have made major strides in establishing peace and tolerance as a way of
life in our province. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of our democratic
breakthrough, we commend the maturity displayed by various political parties
through the signing of this pledge.”

“Unlike most of our sister provinces, we know the brutality of political
intolerance and the social devastation that this wreaks on our people.
Therefore, this commitment by political parties is much more than just
appending signatures to a pledge, but a solemn promise to our people that they
will not allow the elections to take us back to the days of instability,” she
said.

Nomusa Dube-Ncube said peace and development could not be achieved in the
absence of the other.

“Therefore, all of us have the responsibility to strive for peace, stability
and tolerance, even beyond the elections so that our province can continue on
its upward and forward growth trajectory,” she said.

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