Ballot theft foiled at Ngcobo as Eastern Cape police ready election nerve centre

A ballot theft at Ngcobo has been foiled, the South African Police Service said on Tuesday, as the Eastern Cape’s top officer toured the province’s election nerve centre and the Chris Hani district to test readiness for the Local Government Elections.

Lieutenant General Vuyisile Ncata, the Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, was accompanied by his Deputy Provincial Commissioners Major General Dladla and Major General Xakavu on an oversight visit to the Results Operational Centre at the International Convention Centre in KuGompo.

The service said the visit formed part of efforts to assess operational readiness and to ensure the effective coordination of police operations across the province in support of a safe and secure election process.

From the Results Operational Centre, Ncata continued to Komani to assess the state of readiness ahead of Election Day. There he visited the Chris Hani Joint Operation Centre, where he met with external stakeholders and roleplayers and encouraged the integrated approach being taken by all departments at the centre.

He said he hoped that unity would be kept beyond the elections.

Ncata further encouraged Crime Intelligence to continue what he called the good work and to remain alert to guard against any mishap that could bring the organisation into disrepute, referencing the foiled ballot theft at Ngcobo.

The police service did not say in its statement when the Ngcobo theft was attempted, how many people were involved, whether anyone had been arrested or charged, or what was allegedly taken. It did not name any suspect. Those details were not provided.

What the service did confirm is that its provincial leadership is treating the protection of the ballot as an operational priority in the final stretch before voters go to the polls, and that the Ngcobo incident is being held up inside the organisation as the kind of event its intelligence arm is expected to prevent.

The Provincial Commissioner wished all members well and safe during the elections, and said members should remain ready for any eventuality.

The Enquirer has asked the South African Police Service for the date of the Ngcobo incident, the number of people involved, whether arrests have been made and what charges, if any, have been laid. This article will be updated with that response.