90 People Arrested During South African Elections: Police Commissioner

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said on Sunday that the police arrested 90 people over the three days of South African elections that took place last week.

On the first day of special votes (May 27), police handled 26 cases and arrested 24 people. Whereas, on the second day of special voting (May 28), police dealt with 32 cases and detained nine individuals.

On May 29, the Election Day, there were 37 cases, resulting in the arrest of 57 people. Overall, 90 individuals were arrested, with most of them released on bail.

Speaking at the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) media briefing on the third phase of its 2024 National and Provincial Elections operational activities, the commissioner said, there are 22 people "still inside as we speak and that is all about the matters of cases during the three days of the election," SA News reported.

The Ministers of the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster announced that they got an assessment from NATJOINTS about the country's security situation post-elections.

Police Minister Bheki Cele said during the briefing held in Pretoria that he is "satisfied with how law enforcement agencies prevented and responded to incidents that would have otherwise tarnished the seventh General Elections in the country."

He further mentioned that the NATJOINTS updated the Security Cluster Ministers about their readiness to ensure the safety and security of the country after the elections.

Soon after the briefing, the electoral commission announced the results, which disclosed that the African National Congress (ANC) no longer has the majority in parliament. The ruling party will need to team up with other parties to get more than 50% of the votes to form a government.

Addressing the ceremony held to announce the results of the 2024 National and Provincial Election on Sunday, the president praised South Africans for participating in the elections and taking the responsibility to vote for the future of this country.

"What this election has made plain is that the people of South Africa expect their leaders to work together to meet their needs. They expect the parties for which they have voted to find common ground, to overcome their differences, to act and work together for the good of everyone," he said.

He added, "Our people expect all parties to work together within the framework of our constitution and address whatever challenges we encounter peacefully and in accordance with the prescripts of our constitution and the rule of law."