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Police, army out in force for poll Hopewell Radebe Deputy Political Editor GOVERNMENT has promised a massive deployment of 60000 police officers to ensure the local government elections next week are free and fair.

Safety and security Minister Charles Nqakula said all 18791 polling stations would be protected and in some areas the police would be backed up by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

This entails infantry and paratroopers as well as fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters on standby in all nine provinces, Nqakula said in a statement yesterday.

Government has little choice but to prepare a serious response after threats of violence towards voters in Khutsong by people protesting against the transfer of their municipality to North West from Gauteng, as well as the assassination of seven candidates from a range of parties in KwaZulu-Natal. Nqakula said security preparations for the elections involved regular meetings among police, the home affairs department, the SANDF, the intelligence community, provincial and local government departments, and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

There is consensus that no potential disruptions to elections are expected. Even in Khutsong, we are confident that adequate police have been deployed to ensure conditions for safety and security, including IEC staff and their resources, Nqakula said.

With elections around the corner, there have been a number of assassinations of candidates for the African National Congress (ANC), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the National Democratic Convention (Nadeco). All parties are pointing fingers at each other, citing intimidation against their campaigners and candidates.

The IFP says it has lost six members, while others have been seriously wounded in shootings this month.

Provincial IFP spokesman S'bu Nkwanyana said that while the party was outraged by the situation, its local leaders would work with communities to ensure the electioneering was peaceful.

Local government MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu said candidates had been harassed, attacked and killed. An ANC candidate was killed in Nongoma, Ladysmith's mayor was shot at in Escourt and a house of a Nadeco candidate was razed.

The provincial government has undertaken to help the IEC to once again deliver credible elections, Mabuyakhulu said.