FREEDOM TO SAFETY: IT IS A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO VOTE

By Cuma Pantshwa 

• The Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security (JCPS) Cluster gathered in Pretoria for a media briefing, asserting their readiness to protect the public during South Africa’s upcoming seventh general elections, with just 29 days left until polling day.
• Minister Thandi Modise underscored the significance of the 2024 elections against the backdrop of the nation’s 30-year celebration of democracy, emphasising the cluster’s commitment to ensuring that all citizens can exercise their constitutional right to vote without fear.
• Coordinated efforts by the JCPS cluster involve intelligent planning of operations before, during, and after the elections, with multi-departmental collaboration at national and provincial levels, alongside inter-departmental committees established by the independent electoral commission, to oversee safety and security measures.

With just 29 days left before South Africans head to the polls for the seventh general elections, The Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security (JCPS) Cluster held a media briefing in Pretoria to assure the public of their readiness to execute the mandate of protecting the public. 

“The 2024 elections, which are said to be the most contested in the history of this country, take place against the backdrop of our country’s celebration of 30 years of democracy. We will do everything in our power to protect all those who want to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” expressed Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Thandi Modise. 

The approach of the JCPS cluster is to ensure coordinated and intelligent land planning of operations before, during and post the elections where multi-departmental teams work together to ensure that all South Africans exercise their constitutional rights without fear of intimidation or violence. 

The coordination is managed by the national and provincial joint structures of the JCPS cluster, and the independent electoral commission inter-departmental priority committees have been established at both the provincial and national levels to coordinate safety and security planning.

“Our constitution guarantees the right of the Freedom to safety and the right to be free from all forms of intimidation,” the Minister reiterated. The message is clear that no incitement of violence will be tolerated and that lawlessness, destruction of infrastructure, barricading of roads or anyone who participates in any form of criminal activity will be dealt with. 

“The JCPS will ensure that all the rights enshrined in the Constitution are not violated. Among these rights are the rights to freedom of security and protection from all forms of violence from either public or private sources,” said the Minister as she mapped out the plans and warned against criminal activity pre-elections, during and post-elections.