Durban — The police are still on high alert amid rife speculation that die-hard backers of the Jacob Zuma-led uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) would go on a rampage after the former president repeated the allegations that the May elections were rigged.
Zuma was speaking during his visit to the Nazareth Baptist Church (Shembe Church) on Saturday, where he said the MKP, a party he endorsed in December and later led after expelling its founder, Jabulani Khumalo, was allegedly robbed during the elections.
The party filed a case in the Electoral Court over the alleged vote rigging but withdrew it last week.
However, the official opposition in the National Assembly with 58 Members of Parliament (MPs) vowed to file a new case, claiming it has new evidence that would prove that it was allegedly robbed during the elections.
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said more police have been added in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Yes, I can confirm that more police have been deployed to KwaZulu-Natal. But we cannot say it's mainly because of the threat of any potential violence in KZN due to the disgruntlement of MK Party members,” Masemola told public broadcaster, SAFM, on Monday.
There has been speculation after the watershed elections that MKP's staunch backers would revolt against the results in KZN.
However, nothing has happened and the MKP has shot down any claims of violence.
But Masemola said the police would leave nothing to chance.
“We must make sure that we protect the citizens of our country,” he said.
Masemola said the job of law enforcement agencies is to quell violence.
“If there will be any violence or disruption of peace, we will have to deal with it as the police. However, at this stage, we will not reveal the intelligence we have,” said Masemola.
A massive march is planned next week that will be heading to the Durban City Hall by MKP supporters and its allies to voice their anger over the alleged vote-rigging allegations.
Thanduxolo Sibiya, the march organiser, who is also a leading member of the MKP in uMlazi, south of Durban, said the march would be peaceful.
“We just want to express our anger and frustration at how we have been treated as members of the MK Party,” said Sibiya.
Before the elections, the police’s elite crime intelligence unit circulated a confidential memo to district commissioners in KZN, alleging that there were plans by the MKP to destabilise the country.
More than 17 000 cops were dispatched to KZN ahead of the elections, and more have been added.
MKP spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, said there was a plot to tarnish the image of the MKP by making it seem as if it was a violent party.
“My brother, they can deploy all their soldiers, but we are not hooligans. They want to make us appear as if we are people who are crazy.
“The police that they keep deploying to KwaZulu-Natal are of no use because there will not be any violence. This is just propaganda,” said Ndhlela.
Ndhlela added:” They want to instigate people by deploying police and later say that it is the MK Party that is instigating people to rebel against the unjust justice system.”
In July 2021, the country was plunged into disarray when Zuma was arrested after defying a Constitutional Court order instructing him to appear before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry chaired by then deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, now Chief Justice.
The fatal unrest in KZN and Gauteng led to the deaths of more than 350 people.
The looting led to more than R50 billion in economic damage and losses.
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