Ladies and gentlemen of the media and all South Africans. Good afternoon.
We have during the last three days, presided over the National Management Forum Meeting of the South African Police Service, established in terms of section 10 of the South African Police Service Act of 1996. This Forum is comprised of National and Provincial Commissioners, who constitute the Board of Commissioners, as envisaged by the Act. The purpose of the National Management Forum is to ensure coordination and cooperation within policing in all spheres of government in our country.
The National Management Forum has assessed the state of readiness and preparedness of the South African Police Service to police the 2016 Local Government Elections, which are less than four weeks away. Between the 1stand the 3rd of August 2016, all South Africans eligible to vote will exercise their democratic right in voting for the party or candidate of their choice to ensure the proper functioning of local government.
The electoral process is one of the most important features of our democratic society. It is a right that we as South Africans fought long and hard for and it is therefore incumbent on all of us to exercise this hard-won right with pride and dignity. The 2016 Local Government Elections will be conducted in a safe and secure environment. All of us have a responsibility to contribute towards the conducting of free, fair, safe and secure elections.
The mandate of the South African Police Service demands from us to lead in the process of securing the elections and to allow all South Africans to cast their democratic vote without any fear or intimidation. Section 205(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa directs that the South African Police Service prevent, combat and investigate crime, maintain public order, protect and secure the inhabitants of the Republic and their property, and to uphold and enforce the law. The South African Police Service will, particularly during this upcoming election, endeavour to make the dreams of all South Africans a reality through the execution of this mandate.
In addition to the provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act of 1998 places further obligations on the South African Police Service to ensure the securing of the electoral process, including the securing of warehouses where election material is stored, the safeguarding of this material to, at and from voting stations, the voting stations themselves, Independent Electoral Commission personnel and importantly, the electorate. The purpose of these numerous responsibilities is simply to ensure that the people of South Arica can exercise their democratic right to vote for the political party or candidate of their choice in a safe and secure environment.
The conducting of the upcoming 2016 Local Government Elections will take a great deal of work by a number of role-players. However, in this process, there are a couple of key role-players, whose concerted and collaborative efforts will ensure a successful election.
The South African Police Service, including all law enforcement agencies in the country, supported by key role players from the respective safety and security structures, will ensure the delivery of safe and secure local government elections in the Republic of South Africa. All government departments within the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, together with the South African Police Service, will be instrumental in ensuring the delivery of free, fair, safe and secure 2016 Local Government Elections.
Undoubtedly, citizens are a more important role-player than the South African Police Service during the elections. Citizens have a key role to play, not only in exercising their democratic right to vote, but also in conducting themselves in an orderly and responsible manner. We therefore urge every citizen of this country to act responsibly, observe the laws of our country and to cooperate fully with the Police.
Simply put, there are a couple of “do’s” and “don’ts” that we require the public’s assistance with. Our call for action to all South Africans is for them to go to their respective voting stations as early as possible on election day to avoid long queues and over-crowding. We also urge all South Africans to be tolerant of others whose political affiliation may differ from theirs and not to only abide by the laws applicable to the elections, but also to the country in general.
There are, however, few things that we would like every South African to take note of during the election period and beyond. The Dangerous Weapons Act of 2013 and the Regulation of Gatherings Act of 1993, provide for the right of citizens to gather peacefully, but to do so without bearing dangerous weapons, inflicting harm on others or damaging property or infrastructure. The South Africa Police Service will be uncompromising in the enforcement of these Acts and will, under no circumstances, allow the carrying of any prohibited or dangerous weapons by any member of the public at any public gathering. The public has the police assurance that firm, measured but decisive action will be taken against anyone found to be in contravention of these Acts. Law enforcement and compliance is a MUST.
In addition, the Electoral Act provides for a number of offences punishable by law if committed during the election period. No person may publish any false information with the intention of disrupting or preventing an election or to create hostility or fear in order to influence the conducting or outcome of an election. No person may interfere with a voter’s right to secrecy while casting their vote. This in itself places an obligation on the leaders of political parties to ensure that their members observe the provisions of the Act and conduct themselves responsibly during this period. Leaders are urged to refrain from making irresponsible, inflammatory statements or pronouncements, which may incite irresponsible or even violent behaviour.
Total of 22 612 voting stations countrywide will be operational between the 1st and the 3rd of August 2016 and the South African Police Service assures all South Africans that we have put plans in place to ensure that these elections take place in a free, fair, safe and secure environment. Accordingly, the South African Police Service will, during the build-up to the election, on the day of the election and the period after the election, increase police visibility through focused deployments of personnel throughout the country. Through our intelligence structures, we have identified a number of hotspots and potentially volatile areas that will be monitored on a continuous basis. These areas will be targeted through intensified operations, informed by thorough analysis and intelligence-based deployments.
We are confident that the measures for the securing and safeguarding of the 2016 Local Government Elections are in place. These measures are planned and managed through the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), which is chaired by the South African Police Service as the lead department. Planning was initiated in March 2015 when the NATJOINTS established an Inter-Departmental Priority Committee specifically for the 2016 Local Government Elections. This Committee is co-chaired by the South African Police Service and includes senior officials from various government departments and agencies, including the Independent Electoral Commission. Similar committees have been established within each province to ensure the cascading and coordinating of planning, particularly at local level.
The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, under whose direction the NATJOINTS functions, has activated the National Joint Operational Centre and all Provincial Joint Operational Centres. These centres are operated on a 24-hour basis, 7 days a week, to closely monitor the situation on the ground nationally and in all provinces. This will include the proactive identification of threats and vulnerabilities to ensure a swift and coordinated response. In this regard, the South African Police Service will be supported operationally by various law enforcement agencies. The South African National Defence Force will provide logistical support, which will enable rapid response and the deployment of operational resources.
On that note, the South African Police Service, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, hereby declares that we are operationally ready to secure and safeguard the 2016 Local Government Elections. This by no means implies that day-to-day policing will be neglected. We shall continue to execute our policing mandate with the same resolve during this period.
To the members of the South African police service, my directive is that we continue to apply fundamental policing principles, guided by the constitution of the Republic of South Africa and our back to basics approach. Every member of the South African police service has a responsibility and an obligation to execute our mandate professionally, impartially and with integrity, and to do so within the confines of the laws of our country, without any deviation. We shall exercise maximum restraint in our resolve to protect lives and property. No amount of pressure, emotion and intolerance will sway us from the execution of our duties. Our resolve is simple and clear, together with all our sister departments and law enforcement agencies, with the support and cooperation of the people of our country, we will “ensure a safe and secure environment for free and fair elections to prevail”.
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Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo
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