KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has praised police officers deployed to the various voting stations during the elections.
Addressing the media at the KZN elections results operation centre on Friday, Mkhwanazi said to date, police have opened 68 elections-related cases and arrested 24 suspects.
He said in the lead up to Wednesdays’ national and provincial results, police had their hands full attending to over 900 protests. Mkhwanazi said while 690 were peaceful, police had to ensure calm and restore law and order at the remaining scenes.
“eThekwini and the uGu districts were the most affected. The cases registered and arrests made, range from pointing and discharging of firearms, removing and concealing voting material, prohibiting or obstructing officials in their duties, intimidation, removing of posters, firearm possession, different forms of assault and fraud,” he said.
KZNSAPS ProvCommissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says to date, police have opened 68 elections-related cases and arrested 24 suspects. #SAElections2024 @IOL pic.twitter.com/MacDRFym2n
— Se-Anne Rall (@seannerall) May 31, 2024
“Of the 24 arrested, three are still in custody while the rest have been released on bail conditions.”
Mkhwanazi added that police were still investigating the circumstances around the murders of three people in Muden in the KZN Midlands as well as a murder reported in Hammarsdale and another in Wartburg. He said none of the murders were related to the elections.
Meanwhile, the search for a missing ballot box continues.
KZN SAPS PC LtGen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says investigations continue after a ballot box "went missing" in the province. @IOLhttps://t.co/z6x65kCCz3 pic.twitter.com/WPFw9jSjkA
— Se-Anne Rall (@seannerall) May 31, 2024
According to Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) General Manager Granville Abrahams, said the ballot box was transported in an open bakkie from a voting station in the province.
He said the ballot box, containing votes that had already been counted, went missing in transit from the voting station Matamzana Dube School in VD 43412767, KZN282, uMhlathuze in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality.
He added that the votes had been counted and they have been recorded on the results slip.
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