Concerns of unrest during elections: Security measures in place assures Newcastle Brigadier

The National and Provincial Elections are officially within sight, seeing political parties ramping up their activities to garnish votes. However, there is a degree of concern surrounding the potential for unrest over this period.

This follows Visvin Reddy from the uMkhonto Sizwe party appearing in court on Wednesday, 3 April 2024, after being charged for contravening Section 17 of the Riotous Assemblies Act, where he is alleged to have incited violence.

In a video circulated on social media, Reddy stated there would be anarchy and riots as never before seen in the country if the political party did not make it on the ballot papers.

Addtionally, tensions have also been running high between the political party and ANC in the weeks leading up to the elections, especially with former president Jacob Zuma backing the MK Party.

Building on this, during a recent interview with Newzroom Afrika, Special Risk Insurance Association (SASRIA) CEO Mpumi Tyikwe urged businesses to get insured to protect themselves from unexpected events which may stem from the elections. He noted that what could potentially trigger violence was if people could not accept the results of the elections.

With tensions running high in the political sector, especially following SASRIA’s warning of potential unrest, Newcastillian News spoke with Brigadier Naidoo from Newcastle SAPS on the preparedness of local law enforcement to deal with any form of political unrest.

To which the Brigadier explained that law enforcement had started implementing their plans to ensure calm was maintained from now until the elections. “All systems are ready, and operational plans are currently in place,” noted Brigadier Naidoo.

While stating that local law enforcement was not expecting any unrest during the coming weeks and the elections, the Brigadier explained that police were taking the build-up to the elections, and the big day itself, seriously.

“There will be challenges, but the Newcastle SAPS will be in control of the situation, and we will be working closely with relevant stakeholders such as the Newcastle Community Policing Forum (CPF), and security companies,” assured Brigadier Naidoo.

While unable to divulge all the plans for security reasons, the Brigadier noted that despite the uncertainty, he could assure the public that there would be a strong police presence, especially on the day of the elections.

‘There are 22 voting stations in Newcastle and deployments will be at each of these during the day, to ensure voting is not disrupted. We encourage people to go out and practice their constitutional right to vote, as we have taken charge and have the situation under control,’ he noted.

Moreover, he stated that law enforcement would continue to gather information to ensure there was no repetition of the chaos faced during July 2021.

With police assuring smooth sailing during the upcoming elections, the Newcastle Municipality was also contacted to establish the steps it was taking to ensure safety remained key during the election period. However, the Communications Unit noted that it could not comment on the matter, as the Newcastle SAPS would be taking the necessary steps to ensure calm during the period.

With all this in mind, what are your thoughts on the above? Share your views in the comment section below.