'Criminals will not be on holiday' | Mkhwanazi warns police ahead of elections

'Criminals will not be on holiday' | Mkhwanazi warns police ahead of elections Nokuthula Khanyile Tue, 11/03/2026 - 12:00

DURBAN - Security agencies have joined forces to ensure free, fair, and credible municipal elections, with police officers deployed across KwaZulu-Natal to safeguard voters and protect voting stations.

KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says members of the SAPS Task Team will escort election materials from warehouses to voting stations and ensure their safe return after voting concludes.

Officers will also maintain a visible presence at polling stations, protect voters, and respond to criminal activity.

Addressing members of various security agencies, Mkhwanazi stressed that all officers have a shared responsibility to safeguard the electoral process, regardless of their respective departments or disciplines.

**READ | **Elections 2026 | Eastern Cape police boost deployments

“You are standing here in different uniforms, from different disciplines, different government security agencies, but we only have one mission, and the mission is to deliver a free, fair, and credible election for our country.”

He reminded officers that they are not political party representatives and must remain impartial, treating all political parties and independent candidates equally.

Mkhwanazi also urged members to remain vigilant, warning that election deployments must not distract officers from their responsibility to fight crime.

**READ | **Elections 2026 | Police urged to focus on hotspots

He cautioned that criminals would remain active on election day and instructed officers to respond decisively to any criminal activity, including incidents involving dangerous weapons or attempts to disrupt voters' constitutional rights.

“Criminals will not be on holiday tomorrow. Some of them will not even vote. So, do not turn a blind eye to crime committed in your presence.”

He said officers must not compromise law enforcement simply because they have been assigned election duties.

Mkhwanazi added that lessons from previous elections must inform this year's security operations, stressing that officers must act within the law and the Electoral Act.

**Read more: **Elections 2026 | President Ramaphosa calls for peaceful polls