IEC office break-in: Criminal act or election intrigue?

Experts are divided if a break-in at an Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) office in Johannesburg last weekend was a business burglary, or something more sinister and a sign of what’s to come in the run-up to the national elections on 29 May.

Police Minister Bheki Cele last weekend presented the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster plan of action for the elections and said the state was ready for anyone who tried to disrupt the elections.

Threat and crime pattern analysis

Cele said the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure had also done a thorough threat and crime pattern analysis and recommended a fit-forpurpose deployment plan which would deal with any potential threats in and around voting stations and national and provincial results centres.

Cele’s words weren’t even cold when a break-in at an IEC office was reported.

Police spokesperson Brenda Muridili confirmed a burglary had been reported by an IEC employee at the Houghton premises and that Hillbrow police had registered a case of a business burglary.

“So far, only a laptop belonging to an administration employee has been reported stolen,” she said.

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Nothing happens by chance

Criminologist Professor Jaco Barkhuizen said nothing happened by chance, “especially nowadays, especially the IEC offices ahead of the elections”.

“You’d think after Cele’s speech, they would have guards stationed at these points 24/7.”

Barkhuizen said it made him wonder how ready the security cluster was for the elections.

Criminologist Dr Witness Maluleke said this might be an isolated business burglary, distant from the elections arrangement.

“Unless the alleged stolen laptop [has] incriminating information, this might be opportunistic,” he said.

IEC had to say state was ready

Political expert Dr Thapelo Tselapedi said the IEC had to say the state was ready.

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“It’s them who should ensure they have the backing of all relevant state organs.

“I’ve seen and heard people from political parties threatening the elections with all sorts of unlawful actions but we’ve not seen relevant authorities express themselves against those, so that’s concerning,” he said.

Pure theft and criminal act

Political analyst Dr Benjamin Rapanyane said the break-in was pure theft and a criminal act.

“But it also raises eyebrows about the safety of IEC offices, especially during such a sensitive political period,” he said.

Rapanyane said it shouldn’t be happening, especially since the ministers of police and defence had promised to deploy more police and soldiers to stop any shenanigans.