DURBAN | On Monday, the justice, crime prevention, and security cluster revealed that eight politically connected people were murdered in the run-up to next Monday’s elections.
Over the years, South Africa has been marred by politically motivated killings, which began in KwaZulu-Natal and has since extended to other regions.
Concerns have been raised about the use of violence to deal with the competition.
Six people were assassinated in KwaZulu-Natal, according to Police Minister Bheki Cele, including African National Congress councillor candidate Siyabonga Mkhize, who was just murdered.
He also added that there were other cases, “In the Western Cape, the councillors have been killed there too.”
Other likely politically motivated incidents, according to Cele, include the attempted murder of a councillor in KwaDukuza.
Cele has reassured South Africans that the security cluster will ensure a safe and secure election.
South Africans will vote in local government elections next week, and concerns about safety have been expressed in the wake of recent politically motivated deaths in several regions of the nation.
Cele claimed that despite a recent robbery of guns and ammunition at a police station in the Northern Cape, the police could deliver.
“We have 1,158 police stations in the Republic of South Africa, and we are talking about one that was targeted. Criminals now want to take their chances.” He said.
Furthermore, he added that thousands of police officers will be deployed across the country on Election Day to secure polling sites and ensure peace and order, with others already stationed in problematic areas.
While Cele would not reveal the exact number of officers, he said the Western Cape, KZN and Gauteng had been identified as hotspots. The army will also be called in to help.
