South Africa’s law enforcement agencies remain on alert as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) continues its work of counting, reconciling, verifying and capturing the results of the Local Government Elections held on Wednesday.
This is according to the co-chairperson of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, who briefed the media on Thursday evening.
“Our operational responsibility … continues, with particular emphasis on protecting voting materials, securing results operations and safeguarding the integrity of the results management process.
“NATJOINTS remains fully committed to sustaining its security posture until the 2026 Local Government Elections [period] is formally concluded. While we acknowledge the challenges and incidents encountered, the overall operational response demonstrates that the Security Cluster implemented its mandate with preparedness, discipline and determination,” Mosikili stated.
READ | Police take action in Voting Day linked cases
Reflecting on Voting Day itself, Mosikili said “coordinated deployment and decisive interventions” ensured a largely conducive environment, with minimal disruptions.
Law enforcement adopted an intelligence-led and risk-informed approach to operations, with particular attention placed on several hotspots in KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
“Provincial Commissioners, national Directors-General and other senior officials provided strategic leadership and operational oversight to ensure that identified risks were effectively managed.
“Eligible voters were able to exercise their democratic rights, while security forces maintained law and order and responded swiftly to reported incidents, and addressed emerging threats across all provinces.
“This reflects the operational preparedness, institutional coordination and commitment of the Security Cluster to safeguarding the country’s democratic processes,” Mosikili said.
Mosikili noted that planned marches and protests “did not materialise”.
“There was no widespread disruption that compromised the electoral process. Where operational, logistical and service delivery-related challenges emerged at certain voting stations, law enforcement agencies intervened to stabilise the environment and facilitate the continuation of the voting process,” Mosikili stated.
Results capturing and verification continue.
READ | LGE2026: Results capturing making steady progress. – SAnews.gov.za
