No protest or shutdown will prevent other South Africans from exercising their democratic right to vote on May 8.

This was a strong message delivered by police minister Bheki Cele in Pretoria today. Cele was speaking on behalf of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster which has indicated that the country was ready for the elections.

Cele, flanked by state security minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba and police commissioner General Khehla Sitole, said they had already identified hot spots where police visibility will be increased ahead of the national polls.

Cele said these hotspots included areas in KwaZulu-Natal where the was still “the Inkatha/ANC problems.”

In Vuwani, Limpopo, some residents have declared that no voting would take place in the area.

“We will continue to deal decisively with the so-called ‘no go’ areas; all voting station will be accessible to all,” Cele said.

He said even though those that wanted to engage protests had rights to do so however those rights should not infringe on others that want to vote.

“Those rights shouldn’t infringe on rights other South African that want to practice their Constitutional rights of voting... no police will stop any legal and peaceful protest.”

Meanwhile, the home affairs department has appealed to thousands of South Africans who were still to collect their ID cards piling at their offices nationwide to collect them so that they could be able to vote.