Police identify 331 high-risk voting stations, majority in KwaZulu-Natal

Police have identified 331 high-risk voting stations across the country ahead of next week’s local government elections, with most of them in KwaZulu-Natal.

SAPS National Commissioner Fannie Masemola gave the update on Friday during a readiness briefing in Durban. He said KwaZulu-Natal has 165 of these stations. Of those, 124 are in eThekwini alone. The rest in the province are spread across uThukela (16), Amajuba (13), Zululand (11) and Ugu (1).

Gauteng has the second-highest number with 119 high-risk stations. Most of them are in Johannesburg (75), followed by Ekurhuleni (23), Tshwane (14), West Rand (6) and Sedibeng (1). The Western Cape has 33, all in the City of Cape Town. Mpumalanga has 11 and the Eastern Cape has three, all in the OR Tambo district. North West, Limpopo, Northern Cape and Free State have no stations classified as high-risk.

Masemola explained that the stations were flagged because they sit in areas where unrest is more likely. This includes service-delivery protests, community tensions and other security problems. KwaZulu-Natal has long faced higher levels of political violence, which is why so many stations there need extra attention.

He stressed that the police are ready. “Sufficient security measures have been made in those areas,” Masemola said. Extra officers will be on the ground, specialised units are on standby, and there will be more police visibility from Monday when special voting starts. The army, metro police and other security agencies will support SAPS where needed.

The local government elections take place on Wednesday, 4 November. Special votes begin on Monday. Police have spent months planning, checking every province and running practice exercises. Masemola said the goal is to keep voting stations safe so people can cast their ballots without fear.

Voters are urged to stay calm and report any problems quickly. Police will not allow firearms or dangerous weapons near voting stations. Political parties have also been asked to keep their campaigns peaceful.

With only a few days left, authorities say the focus is on prevention. The high number of stations in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng shows where the biggest challenges lie, but police believe the plans in place will hold.

Source: https://x.com/ewnreporter/status/2116129950470132205

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