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Police to step up presence at Results Centre in Pretoria from Monday

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Security efforts at the Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Pretoria and across the country will be stepped up on Monday to ensure free and fair elections. National Spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo told the SABC News. 

Currently, only a handful of members of the South African Police Service, the Tshwane Metro Police as well as the National Traffic Police are on the ground ensuring security at the ROC, which is expected to become a hive of activity from Monday as various political parties and media houses monitor the results on from late on Monday.  

Naidoo says they have enough members on the ground before activity gets heightened on Monday.  

“Of course, security arrangements for the Results Operations Centre are part of the general security arrangements around the elections to ensure that the elections are free and fair. So, with regard to the ROC only accredited individuals will be allowed in and no one else. We have also set up metal detectors at all entry points to ensure security within the centre,” says Naidoo.    

Naidoo would not be drawn into the number of officers on the ground at the ROC. “Obviously, I can’t give out figures but all I can tell you is that nobody is allowed to be on leave during this period. All our members are on the ground and are all deployed all over. But we are obviously going to have a full complement only on elections day at the ROC and all over where we have identified hotspots. And it is not just going to end there. It will continue throughout the counting process where our members will be on the ground monitoring the situation.” 

Minister Cele in Pienaar

Over 10 000 members of the South African National Defence Force will be deployed in hotspot areas across the country to assist police during the local government elections.

Police Minister Bheki Cele made this announcement in Pienaar, near Mbombela, Mpumalanga:

Meanwhile, service delivery protests have hampered special voting in Entilini in the Eastern Cape. This was announced by the IEC during a progress report on the first day of the process to accommodate those who will not be able to vote on Election Day.  

IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo, speaking at the ROC in Pretoria says, “We are aware of the service delivery protests in Entilini, Eastern Cape. Now, what is going to happen is that those voting stations have to open and will open so working together with the security services we should be able to get voting going in those areas.” 

Special voting underway in Alfred Nzo region, Eastern Cape

Earlier on SABC News reporter Nkululeko Nyembezi was in Ebenezer village in Mbizana in the Alfred Nzo region, Eastern Cape, where the special voting in the rural area is going smoothly. Elderly people and people with disabilities are exercising their democratic right to have their voices heard. 



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