Police have recorded 21 case dockets related to election offences since Monday during the special voting period ahead of the 2026 local government elections, with six suspects arrested and five cases already taken to court, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) confirmed on Tuesday.
Deputy National Police Commissioner and NATJOINTS co-chairperson, Tebello Mosikili, said the incidence ranged from murder, theft, arson, intimidation, destruction of election material, to impersonation of Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) officials. Specific arrests included two suspects seized for impersonating IEC officials in Ingcobo, Eastern Cape, and one suspect each for destruction of election material in Mmametlake, Mpumalanga; malicious damage to property in Pienaar, Mpumalanga; and photographing a ballot paper in Christiana, North West.
“21 case dockets were recorded since Monday to date… Five of the case dockets have been processed to court. Out of the 21 registered case dockets, six suspects were arrested,” Mosikili told reporters at a media briefing in Pretoria.
The government’s official media statement echoed these figures, noting that law enforcement is closely monitoring election-related offences as the local government elections scheduled for Wednesday, 4 November, approach.
While the details of victims or scene-based eyewitness accounts have not been disclosed, the arrests indicate continued vigilance by the security cluster to safeguard the electoral process. Election-related crimes such as impersonation and damage to ballot material pose a direct threat to public confidence in the integrity of the vote and the Independent Electoral Commission’s ability to conduct free and fair elections.
Election security has been a priority for years, given South Africa’s experience with election-related violence and manipulation attempts. The current count of 21 dockets during the special-voting period signals ongoing risks and a need for rapid police intervention to deter further offences.
Investigations into the remaining cases are ongoing. NATJOINTS has not provided further details on the progression of those matters or whether additional arrests are expected as the elections draw near.