Police probe 14 election-related cases, from theft to intimidation
The police are investigating about 14 cases linked to the 2026 local government elections, including ballot paper theft and intimidation, while serious crimes are also being probed in KZN and the Eastern Cape.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) is investigating about 14 cases connected to the 2026 Local Government Elections, according to SAnews. National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola gave the update on Wednesday as he arrived at the Electoral Commission’s Results Operations Centre in Midrand.
What the cases involve
Masemola said the cases range from theft and intimidation to incidents involving political party posters. He said most of those reported since Tuesday involved stolen ballot papers, intimidation, or fights driven by political intolerance.
Serious crime and hotspots
Police are also dealing with serious crimes, including murders reported in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The areas flagged as election hotspots were parts of eThekwini and uMkhanyakude in KwaZulu-Natal, and some areas in the Eastern and Western Cape.
In the Amathole District in the Eastern Cape, police had to step in to disperse a protest over water problems so that voting could carry on. Masemola said residents are entitled to raise their concerns, but voting must not be disrupted. Overall, he said the elections had gone ahead peacefully, with security arrangements in place to respond where needed.
What police are allowed to do
Officers may vote for the party of their choice in their personal capacity, but they may not wear party regalia while on duty, because that could damage the perception that police are impartial.
What happens next
- SAPS will keep investigating the election-related cases and the murders.
- Security arrangements stay in place at hotspots.
- No updated case numbers, arrests or charges were given in the report.
Source: SAnews. Summarised and rewritten by SA Job Central.
