INTER-MINISTERIAL SECURITY COMMITTEE: SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1999 GENERAL ELECTIONS
Issued by: Government Communications
Government would like to assure political parties, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the public generally that adequate measures have been taken to ensure a security environment which is conducive to free and fair elections.
Since the beginning of 1999, we have established mechanisms at national, regional and local levels, for the purposes of coordinating security plans for the period leading up to the elections, as well as the inauguration of the second democratically elected President.
The National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (NICOC) has set up an Elections Functional Commitee (EFC) to coordinate intelligence activities. NICOC guides the operational arms of the SAPS and the SANDF by supplying intelligence. The operational plans a re developed and implemented by the National Operations Coordinating Committee (NOCOC).
From current intelligence assessments, we are optimistic that the electoral process will be underpinned by a safe and security environment. The intelligence services are continuously monitoring the situation. Assessments are done one a daily basis and inte lligence alerts are prepared whenever it is deemed necessary.
A security plan was developed, which provides for three operational phases. The first phase is the pre-election phase. In this phase the security forces have already successfully secured the registration process which was held over four periods during 1998 /1999.
During this phase, about 110 political meetings/allies have already been secured throughout the country. Operational plans are in place to ensure that further meetings are properly protected. A number of stabilising operations are currently under way, and these are aimed at sustaining the secure environment which we already have.
The second phase is the election day itself. The security services will ensure that law and order prevails inside and outside polling stations. The responsibility for inner perimeter protection of polling stations is that of the SAPS, and outside they will be assisted by the SANDF. The polling stations will be secured until the election results are announced.
The third phase is the post-election phase and represents the period leading up to the inauguration of the newly elected President of the Republic of South Africa.
The security planning for the elections is politically supervised by an Inter Ministerial Security Committee (IMSC), whose member are the Minister and Deputy Minister of Safety and Security; Mr S Mufamadi and Mr I Matthews; The Minister and Deputy Minister of Intelligence Services, Mr A M Oman and Mr J Nhlanhla; the Minister and Deputy Minister of Defence, Mr J Modise and Mr R Kasrils; and the Minister and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr A Nzo and Mr E Pahad.
Reporting to the IMSC is a Steering Committee which is responsible for the daily coordination of intelligence gathering and security operations. Members of the Steering Committee are Mr Linda Mti, Coordinator of Intelligence; General Siphiwe Nyanda, Chief of the SANDF; National Commissioner George Fivaz of the SAPS; Dr Sizakele Sigxashe, Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Mr Billy Masetlha, Director General of the South African Secret Services (SASS).
To ensure the effective operation of the elections structures, the IMSC meets twice a week. One of these meetings is intended to enable the IMSC to receive reports from the Steering Committee. The IMSC intends to:
In this regard, the IMSC would like to take this early opportunity to appeal to all political parties to use the available mechanisms established by the IEC to deal with any areas of concern.
We trust that South Africans are going to be able to freely exercise their democratic right to vote without fear of intimidation and violence. On the basis of what they have done so far, we remain convinced that the security services can and will rise to t he challenge.
ISSUED BY THE INTER MINISTERIAL SECURITY COMMITTEE, 22 APRIL 1999
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