Five Limpopo voting stations flagged medium risk as 3.3 million voters head to the polls

Five of Limpopo’s 3,315 voting stations have been assessed as medium risk, and none as high risk, the South African Police Service said ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The assessment was given at a Provincial State of Readiness Briefing in Polokwane on Thursday, 29 October 2026, where SAPS in Limpopo, the Independent Electoral Commission and other security partners set out the arrangements in place for the elections. The briefing was attended by the Provincial Commissioner of SAPS in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Jan Petrus Scheepers, and the Provincial Electoral Officer, Mr Itumeleng Seanego, along with Deputy Provincial Commissioners, District Commissioners and representatives of government departments and law enforcement agencies.

Scheepers told the briefing that security operations are guided by continuous intelligence assessments and risk-based deployments. Through the Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (ProvJoints), SAPS and its partners in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster have activated integrated arrangements to prevent election-related violence, protect voting stations and respond to incidents before, during and after the elections. ProvJoints is operating on a 24-hour basis.

The South African National Defence Force and the State Security Agency are supporting the coordinated effort. Police will secure voting stations and election materials, maintain public order, prevent the unauthorised possession of dangerous weapons within voting-station perimeters, and act against intimidation, violence, vandalism and other unlawful conduct that threatens the electoral process. The plan also covers intelligence gathering, high-visibility policing, targeted law enforcement operations, investigation of electoral offences and public awareness work.

On the ground, the IEC said preparations are progressing across Limpopo’s five districts and 22 municipalities, which comprise 568 municipal wards and 3,315 voting districts. The province has 3,037,387 registered voters. More than 99% of the required electoral personnel have been recruited and trained, and all batches of ballot papers have been received and are undergoing quality assurance.

Special voting is scheduled for 2 and 3 November 2026, with 341,809 special votes approved. The main Election Day will follow thereafter.

Scheepers said that while law enforcement agencies are prepared, peaceful elections remain a collective responsibility. He urged political parties, candidates, supporters and communities to respect differing political views, uphold the Electoral Code of Conduct and exercise their constitutional rights peacefully. He also stressed that all police officers must execute their duties professionally, impartially and within the law, so that every eligible voter can cast a ballot without fear, intimidation or harassment.

SAPS used the briefing to raise concern about the spread of fake news, unverified information and inflammatory messages on social media, warning that such content could cause panic, incite violence and undermine public confidence. Members of the public are urged to verify information before sharing it and to report suspected criminal activity through appropriate channels.

This report is based on the SAPS media statement on the briefing, which summarises the readiness arrangements rather than reproducing the underlying operational plans. The statement is available at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=72143. Enquiries on the statement are directed to Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba on 082 565 6524.