Trio arrested for threatening a voter who refused to share details of vote

As South Africans get set to cast their ballots in South Africa’s 7^th general election, police have arrested three people for threatening a voter who refused to share which political party she will be voting for.

The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Runnymede voting station at Xibukulwana Secondary School.

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Limpopo police said the woman was approached by three men aged between 48 and 55, who subsequently told her to vote for their preferred political party, failing which she would be placing her life in danger.

Threats

Police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said the woman reported the matter to the Electoral Commission of South Africa and police.

Mashaba said the trio is facing charges of intimidation and assault by threat.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the female complainant arrived at the voting station to cast her vote but she was approached by two women and a man who asked her which political party she will be voting for.

“The complainant informed them she cannot disclose since her vote is a secret. The suspects then threatened her that she should vote for a certain political party because if she doesn’t she will be placing her life in danger,” Mashaba said.

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Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe said the arrests are part of broader efforts to curb electoral violence and ensure public safety during the election period​.

The trio is expected to appear before Ritavi Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

Police disciplined

Meanwhile, two officers have been removed from elections deployment and face disciplinaries after video footage emerged of them at a voting station while one was wearing party regalia, police revealed Tuesday.

The Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi directed that immediate disciplinary steps be taken against the two officers who were seen infringing the police’s code of conduct and bringing the image of the South African Police Service (Saps) into disrepute.

In the video, a police officer in uniform, driving a state vehicle belonging to Sundumbili Police Station can be seen picking up an off-duty police officer at a voting station.

The off-duty police officer in the video can be seen wearing regalia of a political party.

Additional reporting by Nicholas Zaal

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