By Simon Majadibodu
Minister of Police Bheki Cele has lauded the police for arresting about 50 people for crime-related incidents over the voting period this week, across the country.
Addressing the media earlier today at the IEC National Results Operations Centre in Midrand, Cele discussed the safety measures implemented by the police during the election period.
He said the arrests occurred between Monday and Wednesday, encompassing both the two days of early voting and election day, and was made possible through the assistance of Intelligence structures in identifying potentially problematic areas.
“Out of 23, 000 voting stations, we had about 632 of them that we knew would be troublesome, and then we had to shift out resources, both personnel and other things to those areas,” Cele told the media.
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He mentioned that they had flare-ups before the elections, which were in Durban and Mthatha, but the most significant was in the Eastern Cape town where the taxi violence disrupted transport.
“Almost everybody was very much scared it might spread and stop easy movement of elections. On the first day of elections 107 (polling) stations could not open there, but law enforcement dealt with that one quickly.
“I am glad that people that have caused that chaos, both of them are arrested now, they were arrested yesterday and appearing in court today, and many more arrests of those people that have been causing problems. If I am not mistaken, about 50 people that had to do with the problems during the elections have been arrested.”
Cele pointed out thus far, the police have not endured any major problems that have disturbed the elections around the country.
Meanwhile, he further praised the men and women in blue for executing their duties very diligently during the election period and arresting those violating safe voting.
Yesterday, IOL News reported that at least 98 cases of contravention of the Electoral Act have been opened since Monday, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints) said on Thursday night.
Chairperson of NatJoints, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili said at least 50 accused persons were arrested.
“Gauteng has the most, where they arrested 20 people,” she told journalists at the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) National Results Operations Centre in Midrand.
She said some of the cases include malicious damage to property, stealing of political party posters on the streets, destroying electoral material and assaulting electoral officials, while some of the cases are of intimidation.
IOL