Over 120 criminal cases opened and 59 arrested over three days of voting

Natjoints stated that 21 murder cases had been recorded in recent months that were being considered politically motivated. The South African Police Service (Saps) averaged 40 criminal cases and almost 20 arrests per day over the special voting and election day period. The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) on Thursday revealed the extent of its operations during the 2026 local government elections. Saps had a sharp eye on the 331 high-risk voting stations identified through intelligence gathering, yet incidents were recorded across the country. LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more! View Map While primarily focused on law and order, police acted as unofficial IEC guides to assist the public. “Where operational, logistical and service delivery-related challenges emerged at certain voting stations, law enforcement agencies intervened to stabilise the environment and facilitate the continuation of the voting process,” Natjoints chair Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili told the media. KZN the most active Of the over 300 high-risk stations, 165 were in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), 119 were in Gauteng, 33 in the Western Cape and 11 in Mpumalanga. Mosikili was thankful that anticipated marches and protests did not materialise en masse, welcoming the absence of widespread disruptions. Election day saw the highest level of police activity, with 85 incidents resulting in the opening of 57 cases. These ranged from assault, theft and intimidation to fraud, burglary and drunk and disorderly conduct. Contraventions of the Electoral Act were the most numerous, with 32 cases opened. In relation to the 57 cases, police recorded the arrest of 27 suspects. Police in KZN were the most active, registering 15 cases and six arrests, followed by Limpopo with 11 cases and four arrests. ‘Responsibility therefore continues’ The two special voting days recorded fractionally higher activity, with 65 criminal dockets opened and 32 suspects arrested. Again, voters in KZN and Limpopo were the most frequent transgressors, with 16 cases and eight arrests, and 13 cases and 11 arrests, respectively. While these figures were for this week, Mosikili noted that police had recorded 21 murder cases in recent months that were being considered politically motivated. Mosikili asked the public to respect the finalisation of the results, stating that police would be on hand to deal with any incidents. “The counting, reconciliation, verification and capturing of results remain ongoing nationally. “Our operational responsibility therefore continues, with particular emphasis on protecting voting materials, securing results operations and safeguarding the integrity of the results-management process,” Mosikili concluded.