- There are growing concerns about possible post-election violence in KwaZulu-Natal.
- ofThe Phoenix Peace and Development Committee has been working with local leaders to call for increased law enforcement visibility in vulnerable areas to head off potential unrest.
- However, police say no incident has occurred.
- Track the latest results on our election map.
The Phoenix Peace and Development Committee has urged law enforcement authorities to step up surveillance amid concerns over post-election violence in KwaZulu-Natal.
The call came after WhatsApp messages and social media posts went viral warning of possible looting and post-election unrest.
The commission said the message began circulating after the South African Electoral Commission (IEC) announced the results of the 2024 general elections on Sunday.
The committee's coordinator, Shyam Maharaj, said warnings had been issued to the Community Policing Forum (CPF), private security companies and the police.
However, law enforcement agencies assured that the messages were false and had been sent to intelligence agencies for investigation, he added.
“It's not that we don't believe it's fake, but the fact that people are sharing it indicates panic and fear. We have received assurances from the police and the military that they are on the scene and will respond if anything happens.”
“We believe law enforcement is prepared. It also helps that there is no visible activity on the ground and the situation is normal right now. There needs to be increased police vigilance at this time, especially in vulnerable areas, to prevent any possibility of violence,” Maharaj said.
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On Saturday night, former president Jacob Zuma, leader of the Mkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), argued that the IEC should not announce the election results until his party's complaints and requests for a recount, including unfounded allegations of voter fraud, have been addressed.
President Zuma said any declaration would be tantamount to provoking his MK party, which is challenging the IEC along with several other parties.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Colonel Robert Netsinda urged people not to panic and said police and military forces were on the scene as part of election planning.
“We had planned for it because we anticipated that some people might be upset about the result and want to check their odds. Also, some people might celebrate their victory and go on a rampage and cause chaos, so we planned for that as well. So having troops and police on the ground is not a new deployment, it's part of the plan.”
“In some areas [where] “We have scaled back our efforts as the risk assessment has been lowered. They have been there since before the elections and will remain there until we are confident that the country is stable,” Netsinda said.
Maharaj added that the unrest in July 2021 had caused severe damage to society and the economy: 36 people died in Phoenix alone.
“We're still recovering from the last disturbance, but at this point, nobody feels a little bit at ease that there won't be any disturbances,” he said.
Zwelisha community leader and peace committee chairperson Nkosi Mhlongo said they had also been informed of the message.
He said the unrest of 2021 has resulted in the loss of lives of members of the community, especially young people.
Whenever I see these messages, I feel scared because they bring back memories of 2021. This chaos is something this country should never have experienced. People became like animals and died in the most cruel ways.
“Some people are still disabled as a result of the riots so it is shocking to see people panicking on social media that there will be more riots. You can see people are scared. We want the police to arrest those spreading this message and raise awareness in areas where they are at risk,” Mhlongo said.
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The Durban North Community Police Forum (CPF) told residents it had been informed about the messages.
However, he added that there is no solid information at this stage to suggest any disruptions.
The forum nevertheless said its members and all law enforcement agencies, including security forces, are on high alert to prevent and deal with any incidents of violence, looting, unrest, roadblocks and so on.
“We would like to inform residents that the CPF has a concise and detailed action plan that includes security partners, law enforcement agencies and a team of trained and committed members ready to mobilize immediately in the event of any incident of local unrest, unrest or violence.”
“We urge you to rely on information from your ward councillors, the CPF and other official agencies and refrain from sharing unconfirmed voice notes and messages circulating as they will only create fear and panic,” it told residents.
Magma Security is working with police to increase visibility, with around 200 security officers on the ground monitoring the situation.
Its owner, Shaheen Suleiman, called on politicians to take responsibility for resolving the coalition's problems to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and violence, and said security companies had also received requests from the business community to be on standby.
“There have been a lot of rumours but so far it is quiet. It only takes one foolish person to write a message and cause big problems for a lot of people. But our members are on the ground, working with the police, the army and other private security companies. We worked with the police months before the election and it was suggested that we send more troops after the election and now we are there,” he said.
