Police Minister Bheki Cele, has assured South Africans that the general elections on 8 May will be violence free.
Cele said security would be beefed up throughout the country to ensure a free, fair and safe environment.
He revealed that the election security plan was being managed through the joint structures at national, provincial, district and local levels.
'We want to create a climate conducive to a free and fair election. Police will continue to deal decisively with so-called no-go areas and all voting stations around the country will be accessible,' he said.
Cele said no protests or shutdowns will be allowed on election day.
'People should be allowed to exercise their democratic right to vote for the party of their choice.
'All 22 924 voting stations across the country will be ready and secured countrywide.
'During the build-up to election day, on the day of the election and post-election, we will increase police visibility through focused deployment.
'Through our intelligence structures, we have identified a number of hot spots and potentially volatile areas that will be monitored on a continuous basis.
'These areas will be targeted through intensified operations, informed by thorough analysis and intelligence-based deployments,' he said.
Cele further urged citizens to act responsibly, observe the laws of the country and to cooperate fully with all law enforcement agencies.