Two metros account for 60% of SA’s high-risk voting stations
DURBAN — eThekwini and Johannesburg account for 199 of the 331 voting stations that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has classified as high risk ahead of the 4 November municipal elections. Police flagged 124 stations in eThekwini and 75 in Johannesburg. National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said the assessments will guide how many officers each station receives.
Briefing the media in Durban on 30 October, Masemola said officers would be deployed at every voting station, with additional resources in areas vulnerable to disruption. Police identified service delivery protests and community unrest among the risks that could affect access to the polls. Specialised units will be on standby to respond to incidents.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded 165 high-risk stations, just under half the national total. Gauteng followed with 119. The Western Cape recorded 33, all in Cape Town, while Mpumalanga had 11 and the Eastern Cape had three, all in the OR Tambo District. Police classified stations in the Free State, Limpopo, North West and Northern Cape as either medium or low risk.
The security operation begins with special voting on Monday, 2 November, and continues beyond election day. Officers will also protect results centres while ballots are counted and results processed, with security remaining in place until the results are finalised. SAnews
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