Election Day dos and don'ts

For members of the public looking to get up to no good on election day‚ the acting national police commissioner has thoughtfully prepared a list of dos and don’ts to keep them out of trouble.

Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane presented the South African Police Service’s elections readiness plan on Friday in Pretoria.

He called on all citizens to play their part in ensuring that next month's local government elections are not overrun with acts of intimidation and violence.

“Citizens have a key role to play‚ not only in exercising their democratic right to vote‚ but also in conducting themselves in an orderly and responsible manner‚” Phahlane said.

So‚ what should you do – and what should you not do?

1. Get there early – Citizens should hit the ballot boxes as early as possible to avoid over-crowding and long queues.

2. Play nice – Voters should be tolerant of one another‚ regardless of political affiliation.

3. No axes‚ pangas or spears – It is illegal to carry any dangerous weapon to voting stations or public gatherings - just as it is illegal to inflict harm on others or damage property.

Phahlane said police on the ground would ensure that “firm‚ measured but decisive action will be taken” against anyone breaking the law on August 3.

Although police will be deployed to high-risk hotspots over the election period‚ day-to-day policing will not suffer‚ he said. Senior officials with police training‚ who are normally office-bound‚ will be on the ground.

This year the election period faces fresh security problems‚ Phahlane said referring to recent incidents of violence around the country.

“In the previous elections you did not have an issue around Pretoria. We did not have an issue around Tshwane‚” he said.

But he remained confident that the police “can deliver a safe and secure election”.

The South African National Defence Force will support police efforts in terms of logistics.

While the number of police on the ground may dwindle somewhat after the election period‚ Phahlane said future police work will be characterised by visibility‚ in line with the “back to basics” approach introduced under his leadership.

“Our mandate is not temporary‚” he said.