Police open 21 dockets over special voting incidents

Twenty-one case dockets. That is the tally police have opened in connection with incidents during the special voting period of the 2026 Local Government Elections, a figure that places law enforcement accountability squarely at the centre of the country’s electoral preparations in the final stretch before Election Day.

Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, co-chairperson of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJOINTS), disclosed the figure in a media briefing on behalf of the body on Tuesday evening. Her appearance formed part of the security structure’s public accounting of how the operational response to the elections is being managed.

According to Mosikili, the 21 dockets were recorded from Monday to the time of the briefing, and they span serious categories of alleged criminal conduct. These include murder, as well as cases of theft involving banners and tents, the removal of posters, arson, intimidation, and other matters related to the theft and defacing of election material.

Of the 21 registered dockets, five have been processed to court, and six suspects have been arrested. The arrests, as outlined by Mosikili, break down as follows: two suspects were arrested in a case of impersonating an Electoral Commission (IEC) official at Ingcobo in the Eastern Cape; one suspect was arrested for destroying election material in Mmametlake in Mpumalanga; one suspect was arrested for malicious damage to property in Pienaar, also in Mpumalanga; and one suspect was arrested for taking a photograph of a ballot paper in Christina in the North West.

The gravest of the matters under investigation is the killing of a uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party regional leader in KwaZulu-Natal, an incident Mosikili singled out as being of particular concern. She said the investigating team is expected to pursue available leads to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice, adding that the Political Killings Task Team is also seized with these matters and will provide the necessary investigative support.

Registered voters will go to the polls on Wednesday, 4 November, giving the security apparatus a narrow window in which to demonstrate that its interventions are holding.

Mosikili acknowledged that the incidents have caused concern as the country approaches Election Day, but sought to reassure the public that every incident brought to the attention of the operational structures is receiving the necessary attention and that appropriate interventions are being implemented. She noted that some incidents during the two-day special voting period have required the attention of law enforcement agencies and an operational response.

In a direct appeal to political actors, NatJOINTS urged political parties, their members and supporters to exercise political tolerance and restraint. Mosikili cautioned that political differences must never translate into violence, intimidation or the loss of lives, and warned anyone contemplating acts of violence, assassination or other criminal activity during the electoral period that law enforcement agencies remain vigilant and will act decisively against criminal conduct.

She added that the attacks and killings reinforce the need for heightened vigilance and a strengthened operational posture, stating that police and other law enforcement agencies will act decisively to ensure law and order, and that no excuses will be entertained when crime is committed.

Meanwhile, security measures have been intensified, with particular attention to areas identified through intelligence assessments as requiring increased security interventions. Mosikili emphasised that the approach remains proactive, intelligence-driven and responsive to emerging threats, and that criminal elements will not be allowed to exploit the electoral period to destabilise communities, intimidate voters or undermine the democratic process.

Separately, police are investigating the death of an IEC presiding officer in the North West to determine the cause. In that matter, contingency plans were activated to attend to the special voting processes when the voting station closed, allowing space for thorough processing of the scene. Mosikili confirmed that the voting station will be activated and fully operational for voting day.

On the service delivery side of the operational mandate, Mosikili highlighted that NatJOINTS has engaged government departments to ensure that critical services required for the operational execution of the elections are available. This includes the provision of essential services such as electricity and water at voting stations, as well as the availability of infrastructure and support services to enable IEC officials and security personnel to discharge their responsibilities effectively.

Addressing media reports concerning electricity interruptions affecting some municipalities in provinces over the past two days, she gave an assurance that these matters have received attention through the relevant government departments and coordinating structures. The identified challenges have been attended to, she said, and contingency measures are in place to address any further disruptions that may arise.

Whether the intensified posture holds through Wednesday’s vote, and how many of the 21 dockets reach conviction, will be the measure of the security apparatus’s accounting to the public.