South Africa: 33 polling stations classified as high-risk
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on IOL
South African police have classified 33 polling stations in the Western Cape as high-risk ahead of the municipal elections on 4 November. Authorities are taking into account political instability, violence between parties and tensions involving taxi associations, provincial commissioner Sizakele Dyantyi said.
South African police have classified 33 polling stations in the Cape as high-risk ahead of Wednesday’s municipal elections, provincial commissioner Sizakele Dyantyi announced. The classification is based on crime intelligence and will determine the level of police deployment.
Police are also taking tensions and rivalries between parties into account. Knysna, where a former mayor was killed, and Vredenburg, in the Saldanha municipality, are among the areas outside Cape Town considered at risk, according to Dyantyi.
The Western Cape High Court issued an interim injunction on Saturday against taxi associations Codeta and CATA, following a resurgence of violence in the city. The provincial taxi administration has also suspended the registration of the CATA Langa Inter-township association for six months, following an investigation into illegal activity in the Epping area. Provincial Mobility Minister Isaac Sileku said the legal proceedings aimed to put an end to killings, intimidation and illegal road blockades.
The police operation against taxi-related violence will remain in place during the elections, Dyantyi said. The number of stations classified as high-risk is separate from the national total of 331 sites flagged by South African police, published on 31 October.
