A South African Police Services (SAPS) officer takes notes as voters queue outside a polling station. (MARCO LONGARI / AFP)
- Police have arrested 58 suspects nationwide for crimes relating to the elections since voting started on Monday.
- According to NatJoints, close to 100 dockets have also been opened for crimes relating to the elections.
- Track the latest results via our Elections Map.
Since Monday, when South Africans started making their way to the polls, police have arrested 58 suspects and registered 98 dockets nationwide for crimes related to the elections.
According to the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints), police arrested 29 suspects on Monday and Tuesday when special voting took place, and another 29 suspects were arrested throughout Wednesday.
NatJoints spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the suspects were arrested for public violence, intimidation, malicious damage to property, and contravention of the Electoral Act, which includes publishing marked ballot papers.
Earlier on Thursday, News24 reported that a number of criminal cases had been opened on voting day for crimes either linked to the elections or which took place at polling stations.
In the North West, police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone said a criminal case was opened against an ANC councillor, who “allegedly attempted to induce/influence persons to vote for a particular party within the boundaries of the voting station”.
In the Free State, a 69-year-old woman was also arrested for allegedly removing posters of political parties from poles in Sasolburg.
In a separate incident, another woman was arrested at a polling station in Sasolburg for allegedly assaulting a police officer. Police said she caused a disruption when police approached her.
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In Gauteng, police were investigating two criminal cases including one at Prinshof School voting station in Pretoria where one person took a picture of his marked ballot paper.
Another case of contravening the Electoral Act was opened in Kempton Park after a voter allegedly voted in an area where they weren’t registered.
In the Western Cape, a person was arrested in Cape Town for allegedly trying to vote twice.
Western Cape police commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile said a case was registered after a person attempted to cast a second vote at a polling station in central Cape Town.
He said the matter is under investigation.
News24 also reported that a man was arrested and charged with having a dangerous weapon and resisting arrest following an incident at a voting station in Centurion.
Before being charged, the man was taken in for questioning by police after he was allegedly found in possession of a firearm just metres away from a polling station tent.
READ | Election day turmoil: From ballot selfies to assault on officers
“The officer and members approached the man and requested to search him. They found a replica firearm in his bag, and he was taken to the nearest police station for questioning,” police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said.
An eyewitness, Ruhan Visser, told News24 he was waiting to vote when he heard a man shouting. The man was allegedly shouting at a police officer that they could not search him without a warrant.
He said the man, who was less than 10m from the voting tent, was eventually searched, and a firearm was pulled out of a drawstring bag.
“He claimed it was a toy gun and said he had just bought it. The female police officer had asked him what he was doing with it,” Visser said.
In Mpumalanga, Elukwatini SAPS opened a case of malicious damage to state property following an incident at the Diepgezet voting station.
“According to the report, a SAPS member was at the voting station when a man came whilst drinking liquor and disturbed the voting process,” police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli said.
“He was requested to leave, but he refused, and the SAPS member removed him. It was during this time when members were taking him to the police van [that] he kicked the tail light of the state vehicle and damaged it.”
