As South Africa approaches its 2024 general elections on Wednesday, a palpable tension grips the nation.
For the first time since the advent of democracy, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party faces the possibility of securing less than 50 percent of the votes, a scenario that has heightened the risk of violence and unrest.
The fears have heightened over the past week in the aftermath of a Constitutional Court ruling that barred former president Jacob Zuma from contesting as a representative of the recently formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
The court ruled that Zuma was ineligible to become a member of parliament following his 2021 15-month conviction for contempt of court. South Africa’s constitution bars anyone sentenced to more than 12 months in jail from contesting in elections for a period of five years from the day of conviction.
The Constitutional Court decision has raised the spectre of a repeat of the July 2021 violence that accompanied Zuma’s incarceration, which caused loss of life and significant damage to property in his KwaZulu-Natal province and the country’s economic hub Gauteng.
Several organisations, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), have sounded alarms over the potential for election-related disturbances.
SAPS deputy national commissioner Tebello Mosikili told journalists on Sunday that the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) has identified 632 polling stations as high risk areas and has instituted measures to protect them.
“We have no doubt that this early warning system has proven itself to be able to detect and address all identified security risks,” Mosikili said.
She said the Natjoints – which comprises SAPS, the South African National Defence Force and the State Security Agency – was closely monitoring social media as part of the early warning system to identify potential threats.
“We are not going to say that those threats are not going to happen. Just that we are aware of them, and if they do, we will rise and respond to them,” Mosikili said.
Another warning has come from FirstRand Banking Group, which has issued a medium-risk security notice in which it cautioned of possible social unrest, particularly highlighting the MK Party’s discontent over former President Zuma’s ineligibility to stand for office.
Similarly, Fidelity, a security group, warned of potential violence in KwaZulu-Natal following the Constitutional Court’s decision to exclude Zuma from the elections.
Events over the past week have not helped ease tension. These include last Friday’s protests by truck drivers and commuter omnibus drivers in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces.
Mosikili said the police confiscated 38 pistols and five rifles from taxi association members Eastern Cape’s Mthatha and arrested four others for taxi-related violence that led to two deaths.
“Related to the elections, 27 more cases have been registered and are under investigation. These new cases were registered this week from May 19 to 25.”
JN/APA