The South African Police Service (SAPS) worked diligently over the two voter registration weekends, 5 and 6 February as well as 5 and 6 March 2011, to ensure that community members could register for the pending Local Government elections in safe and secure environments.
There were extensive SAPS deployments at the registration stations and on both weekends the process of registration took place efficiently and safely with only a few very minor incidents, for example having to remove inebriated individuals from the premises.
The National Joint Operational Centre (NATJOC), from which all security arrangements for the 2010 FIFA World Cup were coordinated, was activated over both weekends to ensure the smooth and efficient rendering of policing services.
As was the case during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and all other major events conducted via the NATJOC (including previous General and Local Government Elections), the police worked in close cooperation with the Independent Electoral Commission and other Government Departments, such as The Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Health, the South African National Defence Force, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the Department of Cooperative Governance, the Department of Traditional Affairs and the State Security Agency.
This integrated approach ensured that role players met regularly, exchanged information and intelligence and were able to ensure safe and efficient registration weekends.
This approach will also be followed during the run-up to the Local Government election, on election day 18 May 2011 and during the post-election period.
The management of the SAPS would like to thank all police members who worked long hours over the registration weekends. Yet again they jumped in and helped wherever they could and were excellent ambassadors for the SAPS.
Source: South African Police Service
