Police Minister, Bheki Cele has warned police officials against getting involved in politics, saying action will be taken against them if they do not carry out their work diligently.
He was addressing police officers in Durban ahead of their deployment to various areas on the eve of the local government elections.
Cele has also appealed to law enforcement personnel not to discriminate against political parties but provide protection across the political spectrum.
The Minister says over the period of the elections the officers will be deployed to violence hotspots in the province which has the highest number of politically-motivated killings.
“We are in the province where you have to be double vigilant and your double vigilance you must make sure that you stay out of politics. So it will be important that you keep elections safe. You keep the movement of the material safe.
On Saturday, police confirmed that three people, including a policeman, sustained gunshot wounds during a community protest at uMzinto on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo said at least eight police officers were also injured when they were pelted with stones as they tried to disperse the protesting crowd.
The community was apparently disgruntled over the current councillor who is again contesting this year’s local government elections in the area.
Roads were blockaded with burning tyres, rubble and branches.
Members of the community allegedly also vandalised a number of voting stations and vowed that no voting will take place in the area.
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