The NATJOINTS Coordination Centre (NCC) was officially opened on Friday in preparation for the 2024 elections. The opening ceremony took place at the SAPS Tshwane Academy in Pretoria, Gauteng, and was attended by high-ranking officials including the Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele, the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, and the Deputy Minister of Police, Cassel Mathale.
IN TIME FOR ELECTIONS
According to Police Minister Bheki Cele, NATJOINTS is the operational hub of the Justice crime prevention and security cluster and plays a crucial role in information sharing and coordinating rapid responses related to national security management. The newly established center, equipped with cutting-edge technology, is connected to all nine provincial joint structures to ensure real-time monitoring and response to incidents. "It accommodates officials from 39 government departments, agencies, state-owned enterprises, and private sector stakeholders thereby ensuring a collective and coordinated response to incidents," said the minister. "So, while the timing of the opening may be opportune, establishing a nerve centre of such magnitude, to house the National Joint Operational Intelligence Structures, has been a long time coming," the minister added.
CENTRE TO OPERATE POST-ELECTIONS
Additionally, the center accommodates representatives from various government departments, agencies, state-owned enterprises, and private sector stakeholders to facilitate a unified and coordinated approach to handling incidents. In preparation for the upcoming elections, Mathe said specialized units within the SAPS, such as the tactical response teams, national intervention unit, public order policing unit, special task force, crime intelligence, and detectives, have been provided with 78 vehicles. "These units are in place to monitor the security situation on the ground throughout the country, proactively and reactively to ensure the elections take place under a safe and secure environment to enable South Africans to cast their votes without any fear,' she said, adding that post-elections, "Post-election, the offices will continue to be utilised on a 24/7 and 365 basis as the main centre for NATJOINTS inter-departmental and inter-governmental activities and operations," Cele added.
