Following recent violent incidents that have flared up in the run-up to the general elections on Wednesday, police in Limpopo have identified 24 high-risk voting stations and 157 venues characterised as medium-risk venues.
The police have confirmed that they are investigating cases of assault, vandalism of election posters, and contravention of Section 107 of the Electoral Act, mainly in Polokwane and Witpoort.
Two suspects were arrested in Northam, in the Waterberg region, for the illegal removal of election posters on Monday.
Sporadic incidents of malicious damage to property during service delivery protests in various hotpot areas have also been reported.
Addressing the media in Polokwane on Monday afternoon, provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, confirmed that investigations are under way.
Among the political parties found to have contravened the Electoral Act are the ANC, EFF, Patriotic Alliance, and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party.
Juju Valley incident investigated
Recently, violent confrontations at Juju Valley on the outskirts of Seshego resulted in a nine-year-old girl sustaining a gunshot wound. Other people were injured.
Juju Valley has been identified as one of the high-risk voting venues and is being constantly monitored.
“We are investigating 14 other cases emanating from the Juju Valley incident,” said Hadebe.
“‘These include contravention of the Electoral Act, contravention of the Gatherings Act, attempted murder cases, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, as well as unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
“More arrests are anticipated as the investigation progresses.”
Widespread protests over a lack of services have gripped Limpopo.
Service-delivery protests
On Sunday, about 2 000 protesters barricaded the N1 highway in Botlokwa, threatening to disrupt the elections if internal ructions in the Machaka Tribal Authority were not resolved.
Angry residents had initially locked the voting station at Mphakane village. However, following the intervention by the MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Basikopo Makamu, the station was re-opened.
On Monday at Dididi village in Thohoyandou, community members barricaded access to the village, demanding tarred roads and access to water. They also prevented learners from going to school.
Villagers from Ha-Mutsha also embarked on a service-delivery protest at Makhado municipality and disrupted a council meeting.
After a domestic dispute, the wife of a school principal who had the keys to a voting station fatally shot him, delaying special voting in Sekhukhune.
Elsewhere in Riba Cross, police were dispatched to restore law and order after a rampaging mob denied electoral commission officials access to the area to set up voting stations.
Hadebe said that through the provincial joint operational and intelligence structure comprising the SA Police Service, the SA National Defence Force, and the State Security Agency, they will continue to monitor election activities.
Safeguarding the integrity of elections
“We have established a dedicated team through ProvJoints that is tasked with ensuring the development of a security strategy that entails the implementation of command and control measures to protect the integrity and credibility of the 2024 general elections,” said Hadebe.
“We are satisfied with the operational plan that is currently being implemented. The measures that have been put in place are sufficient to ensure that the elections proceed without any incidents of crime or disruptions.
“The law-enforcement agencies in the province stand as a fortress of democracy, entrusted with upholding law and order and safeguarding the integrity of our electoral system.
“First and foremost, one of our primary responsibilities is to maintain order at all voting stations across Limpopo.”
Police presence beefed up
She emphasised that the police have increased their presence across Limpopo.
“Additionally, specialised rapid response units, such as the highway patrol, tactical response teams, and public order police, have been mobilised to promptly address any instances of violence, intimidation or disruptions that may arise during the electoral proceedings.
“We have implemented dedicated communication channels for citizens to report any suspicious activities or incidents associated with the elections, including the utilisation of the SAPS App for reporting any criminal activities within the community.”
Nkaro Mateta, the electoral commission’s provincial chief electoral officer, said 3 148 stations were opened for voting and 96 000 home visits were conducted for special votes on Monday.
Mateta, who also attended the media briefing, said: “There were incidents where people who were not registered for special votes visited the polling stations.
“On the day of the general elections, we will visit correctional services, where we will be assisting inmates with their voting.”
