Shortly after 11pm, a crowd had gathered at Hammarsdale Mall, alarming residents and local crime-fighting organisations.

However, Hammarsdale CPF public relations officer, Etienne Olivier said the South African Police Service (SAPS), private security companies and other law enforcement units had the situation under control and continued to patrol the area during the night.

Police and private security companies feared a repeat of the 2021 July riots when former president Jacob Zuma’s supporters went on a rampage when 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.

Ahead of the announcement of the results, the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster warned it was ready to deal with any threats of instability.

“As the Security Cluster, we assure South Africans that law enforcement agencies stand ready to maintain peace and stability, as they have done throughout the election period.

“Any attempt to undermine the authority of the State and South Africa’s constitutional order will not be tolerated and will be dealt with accordingly,” said police minister Bheki Cele.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said no one was exempt from the law.

“Anybody who threatens the security or the stability of the country, anybody who wants to undermine the constitutional order of the country, irrespective of who they are, the law enforcement will have to deal with them.”

Meanwhile a man, who allegedly shot dead two CPF members in Inanda, north of Durban, was killed in a shootout with police on Monday morning.

The man allegedly opened fire on officers when he was cornered.

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“The EFF government will approach crime fighting with the understanding that crime is a socio-economic issue, aiming to eradicate it by economically developing communities and providing quality jobs and careers to those involved in criminal activities.”

The EFF manifesto has detailed plans to strengthen the police. An EFF government aims to employ an additional 100 000 police officers by 2026 and purchase an additional 7 000 police vehicles by 2027, on the condition that 50% of all parts are made in South Africa. All broken police vehicles will be repaired by 2025. “The EFF government will ensure that there are police cars with police officers that are tactically trained in all off-ramps, on-ramps, regional boundaries, and provincial boundaries.”

Police officers will be rewarded with bonuses for apprehending dangerous criminals, be given higher salaries to improve morale and reduce corruption, be given a standby allowance for extra police presence, and be subjected to mandatory fitness assessments every 24 months, with those found unfit dismissed from their positions.

The EFF government will increase police visibility in all communities, including routine and regular visibility in informal settlements, townships, rural areas and urban areas. “The EFF government will, by 2029, establish satellite police stations that will be open 24 hours a day and seven days a week in every ward of the country where there currently is no police station. The EFF government will re-open police and satellite police stations in Marabastad, Zandspruit, Kocksoord, Azaadville, Morula Sun, Melville, Zithobeni, Thembelihle, Tshepisong, Slovopark, and Mathole in Gauteng by 2027. The EFF government will re-open police and satellite police stations in Siyathemba, Emjindini, Botleng, Tjakastad, Kwazamokuhle, Msogwaba, Daanjie, Hectorspuit, Lebohang, Badfontein, Dundonald, Phola, Thuthukani, Phungutsha, and Kamhlushwa in Mpumalanga by 2027.”

Other efforts to strengthen law enforcement include employing highly qualified detectives; analysing crime patterns and trends; ensuring that the loss of a docket leads to immediate dismissal; introducing a new police training curriculum; and strengthening the fight against gender-based violence by upskilling police officers, providing counselling services, and DNA kits.

“The EFF government will deploy a special task team to deal with gangsterism and drugs in places such as the Cape Flats in Cape Town, Eldorado, Westbury, Hillbrow, and Yeoville.” It will also engage in consistent roadblocks, including stop-and-search operations to fight the transportation of drugs, illegal firearms, retrieve stolen vehicles, apprehend wanted suspects, and identify drunk drivers, with a zero tolerance approach to drunk driving.

An EFF government will improve the capacity of crime intelligence to include the usage of technology to solve crimes, such as the installation of CCTV cameras with artificial intelligence and face recognition, and ensure that police have body cameras and vehicle dashboard cameras and radios.

“The EFF government will train, remunerate, supply uniforms, torches, and bulletproof vests to Community Policing Forums and municipal street patrollers across the country and encourage the formation of crime watch and street committees in crime hotspot communities and areas. The EFF government will give rewards to citizens who submit evidence depicting alleged criminal activities, including drug dealing, social crimes, and domestic violence.”

“The EFF government will enhance Police Foot Patrols in densely populated areas to improve visibility and strengthen community relationships. This approach aims to foster trust and cooperation between residents and the police, making officers more approachable and responsive to the specific needs of these communities.”

Other highlights from the EFF’s crime fighting portion of its manifesto include:
Racism shall be declared a punishable criminal offence.
The EFF government will introduce a specialized unit to deal with the problem of stock theft in rural and farming areas, as part of its massive drive for rural development.
The EFF government will increase the sentences for rhino poaching, perpetrators of gender-based violence, murders, rapists and anyone who defrauds the state.
The EFF government will ensure that all immigrants shall be registered and have their fingerprints captured by the new Department of Home Affairs and Internal Security.
The EFF government will establish a DNA database for all South Africans to fight crime.
The EFF government will introduce an annual day of joint operation between all law enforcement agencies (South African Police Services, South African National Defence Force, Intelligence and Immigration officers) to visit houses and conduct searches for illegal firearms.

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The manifesto has it that John Steenhuisen’s party, if it gains a majority, will halve the rate of violent crime, which sees approximately 75 South Africans murdered each day and South Africa lose 10% of its annual gross domestic product.

“South Africans live in fear of crime because they have no reason to believe that the SAPS will protect them,” the DA says in its manifesto. “Due to a lack of trust and confidence in the SAPS and justice system, there is chronic underreporting of crime…A lack of specialised policing and a loss of skills in SAPS has resulted in an increase in gangsterism and the use of drugs as gangs have evolved into criminal empires running complex operations involving drug trafficking, robbery, money laundering, racketeering, extortion, human trafficking, and prostitution. In rural areas, the remoteness and greater distances between properties compared to urban areas make visible policing almost impossible, resulting in an escalation in farm attacks and farm murders.”

Before presenting its solutions, the DA highlighted that the SAPS suffers from severe capacity constraints as evidenced by a reduction in its staff complement from 199 345 in 2011/12 to only 182 126 in 2021/22. “There has also been a loss of specialists, a lack of evidence-based policing and a failure to utilise modern technology or keep abreast of international trends in crime-fighting. The national government has failed to meaningfully recognise and integrate private security services, neighbourhood watches and other private role players in enhancing safety and security and has instead treated them as threats.”

The DA also pointed to institutional and capacity issues in the criminal justice system, including severe court backlogs, and facilities being poorly maintained. “The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) capacity has been significantly eroded, the Hawks lack sufficient independence or capacity, and the State Security Agency (SSA) has been heavily factionalised and misused for political and personal interests.”

To “rescue South Africans from crime, corruption and lawlessness,” the DA aims to strengthen the criminal justice system, and decentralise the police service and ensure more local accountability. “This will involve devolving specific policing management and governance functions to competent local and provincial government while maintaining a national police force. By allowing capable provincial and metro governments to manage their own SAPS forces, they can tailor policies and policing plans that are more appropriate to their specific needs, bringing security and safety closer to the communities they serve.”

Other activities towards combatting crime and improving South Africa’s criminal justice system will include moving towards evidence-based policing; identifying crime hotspots; reducing bloated senior SAPS management; establishing coordinated partnerships with private security, neighbourhood watches, and other private role-players in safety and security through a whole-of-society approach; protecting whistle-blowers; conducting SAPS lifestyle audits; strengthening the forensic capacity of the SAPS;and taking cybercrime seriously, using sophisticated technology such as data analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and digital forensics to protect the state and the South African public against cybercrime.

The fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) will be a priority of a DA government, with various interventions to combat the scourge, ranging from police training to victim support.

To avoid a repeat of the July 2021 unrest, the DA proposes implementing the Panel of Experts Report recommendations into the July 2021 Unrest by establishing a dedicated training facility for public order policing (POP) officers, conducting periodic assessments and properly equipping officers to deal with potentially fatal injuries. A “use of force” policy will be adopted, specifically for the SAPS POP units, limiting lethal force to situations with no reasonable alternative.

The DA is for responsible firearm ownership and cracking down on the smuggling of firearms by the SAPS to gangsters and criminals.

To address rural crime, including farm attacks, the DA proposes creating rural safety units together with Rural Community Policing Units; creating rural radio networks including the use of CCTV and drones; adequately capacitating anti-stock-theft units; and introducing legislation to criminalise and prevent orchestrated land invasions.

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The ANC over the next five years promises to Intensify the war on crime and make communities safe. This includes action against drugs, organised crime, gender-based violence and femicide, infrastructure theft and vandalism, extortion and gangsterism.

To keep homes and streets safe and protect the borders, the ANC says it will take a comprehensive approach to fighting crime through the Integrated Violence and Crime Prevention Strategy; modernise policing with more frontline police officers; resource Community Policing Forums; develop capabilities to combat cybercrime, essential infrastructure crimes, illegal firearms, gang violence, crime syndicates, human and drug trafficking, and corruption; provide additional capacity to the Hawks to tackle organised crime; implement a data-driven approach to target violent crime hotspots; strengthen the justice system; act against extortion and violence in the construction sector by strengthening the SAPS Economic Infrastructure Task Teams; tackle priority crimes like gang violence and cash-in-transit heists through specialised police units; and strengthen anti-money laundering efforts and secure South Africa’s removal from the FATF list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring.

Illegal immigration

To address the illegal immigration problem, the ANC says it will complete the overhaul of South Africa’s immigration policy and systems “including the Citizenship Act, Refugees Act and Immigration Act, towards a single law dealing with citizenship, immigration and refugees to prevent contradictions and meet the new challenges facing South Africa.”

The ruling party also aims to locate refugee and asylum centres close to border posts, regulate the employment of foreign workers in line with the National Labour Migration Policy, to give preference to South African job-seekers and act against employment and exploitation of undocumented persons; simplify visa applications; and use technology to modernise systems to prevent fraud and bogus documents.

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The Provincial Commissioners have on Tuesday sent off the last contingents of police officers who will further increase the foot soldiers who are already on the ground to create a safe and secure environment for the 2024 elections on Wednesday.

In the Eastern Cape, SAPS Sarah Baartman District Commissioner, Major General Zolani Xawuka, and his management addressed members during a parade which took place in the early hours of Tuesday, ahead of deployment for elections duties.

“All members are operationally ready to apply fundamental policing principles, guided by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,” Xawuka said.

Xakuwa reminded the members on parade of their responsibility and obligation to execute their mandate professionally, impartially and with integrity and to “do so within the confines of the laws of the country”.

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, gave his marching orders during a parade ahead of the deployment of the members to various parts of the province for the elections.

In the North West, police members have been deployed at the voting stations to ensure that elections are conducted peacefully and in a free and safe environment for voters, IEC officials, as well as role-players and the general public.

In the Free State, SAPS Mangaung District Teams are maintaining heightened police visibility at the Independent Electoral Commission’s warehouse to ensure safety and security during the transporting and delivery of voting materials to different places in the Mangaung area.

Free State Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane, visited Bainsvlei Clinic to cast her special vote as well as interact with SAPS operational members who are posted at the voting station to ensure safety during the elections.

Briefing the media on the state of readiness on Monday, the SAPS Provincial Commissioner in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe and the Provincial Electoral Officer, Nkaro Mateta, reassured citizens that the Electoral Commission and law enforcement agencies in the province are ready to ensure free and peaceful elections.

The police members at the various parades were reminded of their responsibility and obligation to execute their mandate professionally, impartially and with integrity, and to do so within the confines of the laws of the country.

Giving the marching orders during the sending off parade in Harrismith of police officers who have been deployed to ensure safety and security at KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces on Tuesday, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola emphasised the maintenance of public order.

“There can never be disorder because you must be there to maintain public order and prevent crime… and do all other what is required by the Constitution. Go and assist your colleagues, make sure the election goes smooth and wherever you are, make sure you create a peaceful situation to ensure that people go to vote in a very peaceful and stable environment, and allow people to do what they are supposed to do,” Masemola told the police.

Hadebe said one of the biggest threats at the moment is fake news. “We strongly condemn the spreading of fake news, unverified information, rumours and threats, as this seeks to cause panic and confusion, and in some instances, incite violence,” Hadebe said.

“Those who are found to be sharing inflammatory messages and inciting violence will be charged accordingly. We, therefore, urge prompt reporting of these incidents to ensure that law enforcement deals with such issues.

Hadebe said through the Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (ProvJoints), which is led by the South African Police Service, the South African National Defence Force and the State Security Agency, they will continue to scan the election activities and taking a bird’s eye view of all the voting stations in Limpopo.

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Zero to negligible.

But the risk of a rebellion by rogue supporters of a heavily-factionalised ANC disgruntled by any major power loss is potentially considerable – as is the risk of security agency departments undermining non-ANC ministers post-election, say analysts and security force insiders.

Whilst the risk of an outright coup is regarded as zero, a far higher risk is angry supporters of the now-ruling party seeking to undermine any new government through mass action, strikes and protests, say experts.

It’s a volatile situation and uncharted territory, say observers.

How South Africa’s security forces, themselves highly factionalised, react to any possible ANC power loss –  whether an outright loss or security departments managed by unstable coalition partners – is increasingly debated by security analysts, experts and commentators.

A central issue is if security/intelligence agencies and their leadership will submit to political leaders from different political parties, and if such political leaders can manage a transition period insightfully and sensitively.

Therefore if the actual coup risk by police, SA National Defence Force, the State Security Agency (SSA) and others within government’s NatJoints structure is indeed non-existent, other centrifugal forces are at play.

No coup – except in apartheid Bantustans – has ever taken place in a unitary South Africa.

But will the long-standing – pre-dating even apartheid – tradition of obedience to legal civilian authority hold, or will a chain of command culture staffed mostly by ANC cadres for 30 years undermine constitutionality to cover up decades of capture, corruption and mismanagement?

Security forces could just stand still – as with the July 2021 riots – and do nothing whilst disgruntled masses, possibly feeling disenfranchised by election loss, take to the streets.

Former chief of the SA Police Service, General George Fivaz, and the  Institute for Security Studies (ISS) have a focused and informed insight.

Fivaz says inherent coalition instability is the real danger, with potential unrest and security force resistance mitigated by an ANC still expected to be the premier political party after May 29, with real stability only possible with a government of national unity.

But he does concede in any choice between chain of command or the Constitution, security forces will choose the former.

Yet SA’s unstable socio-economic make-up creates a volatile climate irresponsible politicians can exploit if election results are not acceptable, says Willie Els, a senior analyst and programme manager at the Pretoria-based Institute of Security Studies.

 “Both the Police and military are under-staffed, under-funded and not efficiently trained to deal with such challenges.

“The question is, will such forces submit to and follow political leaders from different political parties?”

Along with the ANC itself, all South African security and intelligence agencies are known to be  highly-factionalised and politicised, raising the possibility of both inter and intra-agency confrontation.

Fivaz believes the risk of a traditional coup is zero and any isolated upsurge in post-election violence can be handled by the security forces.

“Yes, members of the security forces abuse their power every day, but I really believe that the possibility of a coup in South Africa is next to zero, and that the security forces are capable of dealing with whatever upheavals might emerge from election results,” said Fivaz.

Regarding non-ANC ministers and politicians who might take over security departments in possible coalitions, this can be handled effectively as was done in South Africa’s most recent power-loss situation, the advent of democracy following the April 1994 elections.

Security forces have shown indications that they have learned the lesson of the politically-sparked 2021 mass unrest, Fivaz adds.

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This includes deploying drones and helicopters, and supplying police with CCTV footage and access to their control room monitoring systems.

A meeting between private security role-players and police was held this week where police outlined their general elections security plan.

The plan, compiled by the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), is based on a thorough threat and crime pattern analysis.

This includes police and voting stations, which have received threats of intimidation before Election Day, as well as areas prone to service delivery issues.

During a briefing on Sunday by the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster, police minister Bheki Cele refused to go into detail about the national security plan.

However, Cele did reveal that out of the 23700 voting stations across the country, 500 were identified as high-risk.

“We are putting our eyes firmly on those. We have worked with the Independent Electoral Commission, we have those (voting stations) that are giving us problems,” he said.

This week members of The Eyes and Ears Initiative (E2), a joint crime-fighting initiative between SAPS, Business Against Crime South Africa (BACSA) and the private security industry, were briefed on the general elections security plan.

BACSA executive project manager Fouché Burgers said about 350 members of the E2 initiative will assist police both before and after elections.

“We had meetings with the police, we have regular meetings with the police not just during election time. During elections, it’s not only the day of elections, it’s both before and after. We will focus on being better eyes and ears for police, with our geographically broadened footprint of the private security industry across the country, and of course with technology such as helicopters and cameras. We will feed the police with situational information, what’s happening on the ground constantly, to make sure they are able to respond quicker.”

Burgers emphasised private security would not be taking over police functions but merely assist on a supportive basis.

It is understood that at least 20 helicopters will be supplied and deployed by private security in Gauteng alone during the election period.

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Read more here.

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