Police pour into OR Tambo district as Mthatha prepares to vote
Officers from Gauteng, the Free State and elsewhere in the Eastern Cape have been brought in to reinforce the district ahead of the local government elections.
Police reinforcements from as far as Gauteng and the Free State have been deployed to the OR Tambo district in the Eastern Cape to bolster numbers for the local government elections.
The extra members, who also include officers drawn from elsewhere in the Eastern Cape, were welcomed at the Mthatha Academy Parade Ground at about 14:00 on Tuesday.
The OR Tambo District Commissioner, Major General Norman Modishana, told the deployed members that their posting was not a vacation or an opportunity for comfort, but a mission to ensure the elections are free and fair.
He said the district is generally peaceful and crime levels are low, but warned the members not to become complacent or act irresponsibly on the strength of that.
Modishana told them the district is predominantly rural and encouraged them to embrace the new experience, while reminding them to stay vigilant and not allow any disturbances at or near voting stations. Their primary responsibility, he said, is to maintain law and order.
Major General Swartz, from the SAPS national head office, addressed the members on the SAPS Code of Conduct, which requires them to treat everyone with respect and dignity. He urged them to give guidance and to conduct themselves professionally in all situations, and said they must always act in the best interests of the country and put the safety and security of all first.
The deployment is intended to keep the provincial local government elections running effectively and smoothly in the district.
