Cape Town – The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has assured South Africans of a secure environment for the upcoming elections on May 29.
Deputy National Commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, said that comprehensive measures are in place to ensure peaceful elections.
“As the NATJOINTS, we are confident that the measures that have been put in place are sufficient to ensure that the country’s upcoming general elections proceed without any incidents of crime and disruptions,” Deputy National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili said on Sunday in Pretoria during a media briefing.
She said that NATJOINTS, led by SAPS, SANDF, and SSA, has conducted a national security assessment and will operate a 24/7 Coordination Centre from May 22 to June 9 to monitor and respond to threats.
“The planning for the safety and security of the 2024 General Elections has been finalised. The operational phase will commence from Wednesday, 22 May 2024 with the activation of the NATJOINTS Coordination Centre, until 09 June 2024
“This NATJOINTS Coordination Centre (NCC) is operating around the clock, closely monitoring the situation in the country through proactive identification of threats and vulnerabilities. The centre serves as a central point of contact for coordination of information and the reporting of incidents to ensure a swift, prompt and coordinated response,” Mosikili said.
The security strategy includes intelligence gathering, high visibility policing, law enforcement, and public awareness campaigns. High-risk voting stations have been identified, and appropriate security deployments are planned.
Social media threats, including a truck drivers’ shutdown, are being addressed with zero tolerance for criminal activities, she said.
The election security plan has three phases: securing voter registrations and hotspots, static deployments and escorting election materials from May 27, and post-election monitoring of celebrations and gatherings.
Preparations for the presidential inauguration are also underway.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
