Cele says anyone that disrupts elections will be dealt with

Minister of Police Bheki Cele has warned anyone who uses social media and electronic platforms to send threatening messages, incite violence, or cause harm to others ahead of the elections will be dealt with.

Threats of public violence ahead of elections

On Sunday Cele presented the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster plan of action for the elections on 29 May and said police will not hesitate to track down any person who creates a video or post that encourages others to commit public violence.

“No one has a right to intimidate and prevent others from exercising their constitutional right to vote for a party of his or her choice. As the government, we want to issue a warning to anyone with intentions to disrupt the elections that the law enforcement officers will deal with them decisively and will put them behind bars,” he said.

Inflammatory or threatening statements

Cele said the 2024 general elections are expected to be the most contested in the history of this country, with 70 political parties contesting. There are also 11 independent candidates, 52 national contestants and more than 14 900 candidates vying for 887 seats in the National and Provincial legislatures.

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The police minister appealed to political and community leaders to exercise caution when speaking on public platforms.

“Do not make inflammatory or threatening statements as you will be breaking the law and may also encourage others to carry out criminal activities. We urge the public to exercise caution before sharing the information with others. Ensure that you double-check the accuracy of the information and be aware of the unintended consequences of your actions,” he said.

Cele said the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has done a thorough threat and crime pattern analysis and has recommended a fit-for-purpose deployment plan that will deal with any potential threats of crime and violence in and around voting stations and national and provincial results centres.

He warned that anyone found guilty of such an offence could be sentenced to a maximum of 30 years imprisonment.

Lessons learnt from July riots?

Criminologist Professor Jaco Barkhuizen said the JCPS cluster plan looked good.

“It’s basically a repeat from previous elections, the only difference is due to the July riots, there is an emphasis on incitement and inflammatory statements.”

Barkhuizen said it showed the cluster has learnt from the policing and intelligence failure of the July riots.

Political analyst Piet Croucamp said it was good to have a safety plan in place for the elections but questioned whether it would be sufficient to deal with the type of unrest we had in July 2021.

“The organic material for social unrest and violence is always present,” he said.

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Croucamp also said election time usually meant more service delivery strikes occur in the run-up to voting day.

“Before the elections, people might respond and react to rumours that the elections might not be that free and fair,” he said.

Political analyst Dr Witness Maluleka said it was encouraging to learn that state security will be tightened during the election period to prevent disruptions and public violence.

“The South African Police Service (Saps), in collaboration with other private and public law enforcement agencies (LEAs) are taking responsibility and accountability by offering proactive plans and strategies, with the signs of reactive policing shared to possibly respond to post-election threats, stemming from the polls results,” he said.

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