• Police top bras are calling for calm in KwaZulu-Natal ahead of Sunday’s expected release of the national general election results. 
• The announcement is expected to take place at 16:00 at the Durban International Convention Centre.
• Track the latest results via our Elections Map.

The police in KwaZulu-Natal have issued a stern warning ahead of the release of the general election results, saying “it won’t end well” for those who resort to violence to display their displeasure. 

The Electoral Commission of South Africa is expected to announce the national and provincial election results on Sunday after South Africans went to the polls on Wednesday. 

KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said: “To the leaders of these political parties, they need to be mature enough and understand how democracy works.

“There is always going to be a loser, so there shouldn’t be bad losers for those that are losing. People know that they have legal options to challenge processes.

“They must use those opportunities and not take them to the streets. [If they do], they will find us on the streets, and it is not going to end well.” 

READ | PROJECTION: ANC looks set to be decimated in KZN as MKP support increases

The provincial announcement is expected to take place at 16:00 on Sunday at the results operations centre at the Durban International Convention Centre.

Addressing the media on Friday, Mkhwanazi said South Africans waited with bated breath to see how law enforcement agencies would “manage, maintain the peace and stability” during the elections.

This after it was anticipated there would be violence and political intolerance following the formation of former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party in December.

The MK Party, which is likely to be the party governing KwaZulu-Natal after the elections, previously threatened violence if Zuma was not on the ballot paper. 

Mkhwanazi also urged supporters of various political parties not to provoke one another.

He said: “Those who are provoked should uphold the law and avoid confrontation. The province of KwaZulu-Natal was and has remained stable during the process of elections. We hope going forward it will remain this stable while operations are still ongoing.”

Asked whether the police anticipate violence after the results are released, Mkhwanazi said they were aware some people might not celebrate responsibly and provoke others.

He said:

Political parties should use the correct channels to raise issues, Mkhwanazi added. 

Referring to controversial MK Party member Visvin Reddy, he said in the run-up to the elections, an individual was arrested after he made remarks that were deemed to be incitement to violence.

In April, Reddy threatened anarchy if Zuma was not on the ballot. 

“Many people were panicking in those long queues and many analysts were doubting the capability of law enforcement in the townships and city centres, but the security cluster stuck to their guns and prevented any lawlessness and anyone that was trying to disturb the elections.” 

Mkhwanazi added these elections were not without challenges, adding since February, the police dealt with over 900 protest actions.

“Of those, 690 were peaceful, and the police had to contain 211 unrest situations in this province with the eThekwini metro and Ugu District being the most affected.”

He said a total of 68 election-related cases were registered in the province. 

“These cases ranged from pointing and discharging of firearms, removing and concealing voting material, obstructing or hindering IEC officials in their duties, intimidation, defacing or unlawful removal of posters, possession of firearms, different forms of assault and fraud. 

“Out of the 24 suspects arrested, three are still in custody, and others have been released on various conditions of bail. There were at least four murder cases which were registered on elections day.”

Mkhwanazi added three people were shot and killed in eSihlabeni, the uMzinyathi District, in Greytown.

“We had one murder each in Mpumalanga in Hammarsdale and Wartburg. None of these murders were related to the elections.”

Two police officers were removed from deployment after a video trended on social media showing one of them wearing the regalia of a political party, he said. 

“The members were suspended as the investigation unfolded, and internal disciplinary steps will follow.

“Our role in politics is only to vote for the political parties that we favour and to protect citizens, added Mkhwanazi.