Task team to investigate political killings in KZN: Minister
A week before the most hotly-contested elections since 1994, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko remains confident that the polls will take place in an atmosphere conducive to free and fair elections.
The minister briefed the media this afternoon on the work of the task team established in June to probe the alleged political killings of political office bearers.
A bulk of these incidents occurred in KwaZulu Natal.
Four cases of murder have been recorded in Gauteng, North West, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.
Minister Nhleko says a task team has been established in KwaZulu Natal to immediately investigate and prosecute all politically motivated crimes.
In total, 25 incidents have been reported in the province.
"Fourteen of those cases, 14 of the 25, are murder and attempted murder cases. In so far as the murder cases are concerned, we have had seven arrests and on attempted murder we effected two arrests," he said.
Nhleko says violent hotspots across the country have been identified and police officers will be deployed accordingly, with more officers deployed in high risk areas.
"Will specialised units in the SAPS be also utilised? It will really depend on what the nature of the material condition will be in a particular hotspot that will then dictate how we, therefore, need to effectively deploy there."