In a press briefing ahead of the local government elections, National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) chairperson Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili has urged civilians not to protest or march on Election Day, stressing that such an act would be considered a crime.
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No protests, no marches
Whilst providing legal guidelines for the upcoming Election Day, Mosikili has said:
“It is prohibited, in terms of electoral processes, that on the day of the election, no one should protest.”
To provide further clarity on the civilian’s constitutional right to protest, she added that should one feel the need to protest, it should not be on 4 November.
“If you want to protest, protests and marches end on Tuesday at midnight. But on Wednesday, which is the day of the election, no marches or protests would be allowed, as that would be committing a crime and it would be responded to accordingly,” she explained.
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (#NATJOINTS) has warned that campaigning will not be permitted on Voting Day, cautioning that anyone who defies the prohibition will be committing a crime and face a response from deployed law enforcement officers.
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Electoral code of conduct
In an effort to create an environment conducive to free and fair elections, the protests have been deemed unlawful on Election Day.
“Intimidation, coercion or attempts to influence voters in favour of a particular political party constitute offences in terms of the Electoral Act. No marches or demonstrations are permitted on Voting Day, and any contravention thereof is a crime,” Mosikili explained.
According to local news, NATJOINTS said sufficient law enforcement personnel have been deployed across all nine provinces, with security arrangements that have been informed by intelligence assessments and identified threats.
It is urged that access to voting stations, electoral officials, voters and election materials must remain unobstructed.
Featured image: iStock/FG Trade
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