Ninety arrested over the course of 2024 elections

Sunday, June 2, 2024

Ninety people were arrested over the three days of elections earlier this week, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said on Sunday.

On the first day of special votes on Monday, police registered 26 cases and arrested 24 people.

On the second day of special votes on Tuesday, police logged 32 cases, and nine people were detained.

On Election Day on Wednesday, 29 May, 37 cases were registered, leading to the arrest of 57 individuals.

In total, police arrested 90 people of which the majority have since been released on bail.

“Twenty-two are still inside as we speak and that is all about the matters of cases during the three days of the election,” explained Masemola.

The Commissioner was speaking at the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) media briefing on the third phase of its 2024 National and Provincial Elections operational activities.

The briefing came hours before Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) was set to release the results of the hotly contested elections.

READ | SA awaits election results

The Ministers of the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster said they had received an evaluation from the NATJOINTS regarding the security situation in the country since the elections.

“We are satisfied with how law enforcement agencies prevented and responded to incidents that would have otherwise tarnished the seventh General Elections in the country,” Police Minister Bheki Cele said at the briefing held in Pretoria.

He said the NATJOINTS also briefed the Ministers of the Security Cluster on their preparedness to assure the safety and security of the country in the post-election phase.

The security cluster stands ready to deal with any instability ahead of the declaration of the election results in Midrand this evening. – SAnews.gov.za