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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is extremely concerned that the South African Police Service (SAPS) intends on training 900 Police Officers to assume the function of Election Officers in the event of disruptions at voting stations on 08 May.

According to a presentation by the SAPS to the Portfolio Committee on Police, between 26 March and 26 April, 900 Police Officers will be pulled from active duty in order to attend Electoral Act Workshops.

The DA will today write to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Chief Executive Office to seek clarity on the role of Police Officers on Election Day.

It is unconscionable that SAPS would contemplate assuming the functions of the IEC and that so many hundreds of Police men and women will spend hours receiving training for a function that is not theirs to execute.

This is of even greater concern in light of the fact that despite repeated requests from the DA, the operational plans of the IEC for voting day have not yet been fully explained to Parliament.

The Democratic Alliance remains concerned that various complaints which have been laid with the IEC on breaches by parties regarding campaigning and election day readiness have also to date not been responded to.

For this reason, on 07 March 2019 the Democratic Alliance wrote to the House Chairperson of Committees, Mr C. Frolick, requesting a joint sitting of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs and the Portfolio Committee on Police, in order to receive a joint briefing from the IEC and the SAPS on their readiness for the 2019 national and provincial elections.

Parliament has a pivotal role to play in ensuring that these institutions are ready for the roll out of Election Day as they are accountable to the National Assembly and Parliament is thus obliged to assert its oversight role in terms of Sections 56 and 181(5) of the Constitution.

To date, despite follow ups, we have not received a response from the House Chairperson of Committees and nor has a briefing from the IEC been forthcoming.

With less than 24 hours to go until the National Assembly rises for the term, we will now also write to the Chairperson of the Select Committee on Social Services, Ms C. L Dlamini to request that she call on the IEC to present their final election readiness plan to the Committee before the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) is due to rise on Thursday, 28th March 2019.

Issued by The DA