The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has assured those attending the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal province that safety measures have been put in place.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili said disruption of the summit would not be allowed and urged everyone to respect the summit’s rules.

She said there are citizens planning a march on Wednesday and constitutionally they are allowed to, but should not interfere with the gathering during the duration of the summit.

More than 10 heads of states are expected to attend the Summit.

“NATJOINTS, its proven track record of planning and securing national and international events hosted in South Africa, we have repeatedly demonstrated our ability to deliver world glass security operations without incidents,” Mosikili said.

“All specialised units and maximum available resources have been placed on standby and are deployed as part of the overall security plan. This includes intelligence, crime prevention, public order policing, traffic management and other specialised capabilities required to secure the Summit, its delegates, venues and associated activities. Our approach is proactive. We are not waiting for incidents to happen before we act.”

She added, “We are identifying potential threats, assessing them and putting measures in place to prevent them from materialising. Our intelligence structures are on the ground, and all security agencies are working together under the NATJOINTS framework.”

–SABC–