Elections 2026: Police probe murders, assaults and electoral offences

Election day incidents did not stop South Africans from voting, but they have left police with a growing pile of cases.

From stolen election material to a confrontation outside a Cape Town voting station, dozens of suspects now face investigation.

What happens next could take months.

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The numbers before voting began

By Sunday, 1 November, police had registered 139 election-related cases since the start of the 2026 election process.

Since then:

• Police have arrested 48 suspects
• Investigators are still working on 69 cases
• Police have sent 8 cases to prosecutors for a decision
• Courts have already enrolled 25 cases.

Offences under electoral law made up the biggest group, with 72 cases and 22 arrests.

Other cases included 10 murders, as well as assault, intimidation, malicious damage to property and theft.

During the two days of special voting, police opened another 21 cases, made six arrests and sent five dockets to court.

The arrests included two people accused of impersonating IEC officials in Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape, and a person accused of photographing a ballot paper in Christiana, North West.

Hanover Park: violence near a voting station

On election day itself, a group pelted police officers with stones and beer bottles near the Hanover Park Civic Centrevoting station on the Cape Flats, shortly after 10:00.

The attack injured one officer, who fired three warning shots.

Police arrested four suspects aged 16 to 20. Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut said preliminary investigations suggested they were allegedly linked to a gang operating in the area.

Police opened a case of public violence and attack on police, and the suspects are expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court.

Traut said the incident did not disrupt voting, which continued uninterrupted.

The most serious cases

Police have recorded 20 murders of political representatives, party members or supporters during the election period. Seven arrests have been made.

NATJOINTS has not said how these relate to the 10 murder cases among the 139 dockets.

The Political Killings Task Team has been assigned to these cases.

What happens to the cases now

Each case follows the normal criminal justice process:

1. Police investigate and gather evidence
2. Prosecutors decide whether there is enough evidence to charge someone
3. Cases go to court, where suspects can be tried

Arrests are not convictions, and some cases may take months to finalise.

Separately, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has said it is taking legal steps against individuals and parties it believes broke the rules.

Did the incidents affect the vote?

The IEC said voting started smoothly, with all stations opening and no major glitches reported.

Parties and candidates who believe an incident affected a result can lodge a formal objection with the IEC, which must consider it before results are finalised.