Durban - Security for Wednesday’s elections will be tight, with police keeping a vigilant eye on proceedings.
This as efforts were being made to ensure a peaceful vote after more than 10 people were killed in political violence in KwaZulu-Natal since the start of the year.
Community Safety and Liaison MEC, Mxolisi Kaunda and acting provincial commissioner, Bhekinkosi Langa unveiled security measures put in place, at a parade in Durban on Monday, before law enforcement personnel were deployed to voting stations across KZN.
Speaking at the parade, Kaunda said police would be deployed to 162 “high risk” voting stations.
“We believe this will ensure the prevention of politically related violence,” he said.
Kaunda said they wanted police to ensure all routes to and from voting stations were safe, and that escorts were provided for Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) materials such as ballot papers.
Kaunda said a total of 14 944 police officers would be deployed at the province’s voting stations.
A further 250 metro police from eThekwini metro, 423 members of the Road Traffic inspectorate and 180 emergency medical rescue service were also deployed.
“There will be 170 members of the SANDF who will be on standby,” Kaunda added.
A total of 1 300 crime prevention volunteers would work in partnership with law enforcement agencies, and 170 private lawyers had been contracted to resolve disputes at voting stations.
Kaunda was convinced the deployments would help ensure peaceful elections in the province
Langa said despite the deployments at voting stations, there would be adequate officers on the ground to fight crime.
“We have members that will actively respond to any situation we may come across.”
Also speaking at the parade, Co-operative Governance and traditional Affairs MEC, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, called on police to be firm and not take things for granted when enforcing the law.
“We know there are people who want to disrupt the elections,” Dube-Ncube said.
Dr Johan Burger, of the Institute for Security Studies, said there would be about 155 000 police officers working across the country protecting the poll.
He said more police officers would be deployed this year than in 2 000 when there were 100 000.
“I seriously doubt there will be violence, but there is always a chance of violence flaring up in hot spots.”
One of the reasons why Burger was confident was because security preparations had begun as far back as December.
Other security agencies such as intelligence services and the SANDF were also prepared for the elections
He said the SANDF would provide back-up and rapid deployment to the police should a dangerous situation arise.
Security operations have already begun, which included deployments to trouble spots, Burger said.
Provincial violence monitor and researcher at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s school of law, Mary de Haas, said it was difficult to predict if there was going to be violence during elections, and that one would have to take a wait-and-see approach.
She believed tensions could arise after the elections if results were disputed.
De Haas lauded the IEC’s decision to make opening hours of voting stations shorter.
She said this was because despite a strong police presence, as soon as voters left a voting station they would be out of sight of the police and vulnerable to attack.
But Kaunda said the security plan went beyond election day.
Dube-Ncube said there was a need for all political parties to ensure their members adhered to electoral code of conduct.
Daily News