The Western Cape police say they are ready for the task of ensuring the safety of the national elections. Scores of officers, including those on foot, horseback, and in the air, will be deployed to the province’s more than 1,500 voting stations. Of these, 49 stations have been designated as high risk.
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The SAPS says it is prepared to ensure that everyone who can and wants to vote does so safely. Voting stations are divided into three categories high, medium and low risk.
The vast majority, however, are considered low risk. Areas of concern will see increased SAPS member deployment.
SAPS Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile says reaction teams will be stationed near all voting districts and ready to respond immediately.
‘We will have the normal policing continuing in the areas making sure there’s visibility,’ Patekile said. ‘In partnership with all our role players, the CPFs, the neighbourhood watches, the community and all other stakeholders, law enforcement, metro police, traffic department. So, we are in full force out there to ensure that there’s peace and safe environment and harmony during the election period.’
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The Western Cape Electoral Commission (IEC) reports that an incident involving stolen property two weeks ago was resolved within 12 hours.
An arrest was made and the IEC’s property was returned.
While no voting materials were delivered at the time, security has since been increased at all polling stations.
‘Also, with the assistance of SAPS, all our material is being guarded. Where we escort, they are there to assist us with escorting and ensuring that all our materials ultimately arrived safely at the voting station but also more importantly that they will be returned from those voting stations once voting is completed,’ says Michael Hendrickse, Western Cape IEC Electoral Officer.
The IEC is confident that the SAPS will do everything possible to ensure the safety of all election participants.
According to the SAPS, a variety of factors determine whether a voting station is high risk. It includes issues such as political intolerance, serious crime, and service delivery.
‘Have you been made aware that there might be issues across the province…relatively no. We have no threats that we have identified as acquiring special attention for now. As we continue, until the last person votes and it’s closed, we still continue doing a threat risk assessment all the time,’ Patekile added.
Law enforcement agencies from both provinces and municipalities are among the stakeholders.
‘We are very clear from our side that we would want each and every person that is eligible to vote to ultimately make it to a voting station. So, where the South African Police Service should have visibility and presence it will be an integration between metro police, leap officers, some routes traffic as well,’ said Police Oversight & Community Safety MEC, Reagan Allen.
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