The Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed it is investigating allegations of tampering with special voting material at a polling station in the Western Cape.
The ANC reported allegations of tampering with special votes boxed in a DA stronghold ward in the Bitou Municipality to the IEC on Tuesday.
The party alleged that the original seal on the ballot box from the previous evening was discovered to be different the next morning.
Tampering allegations dismissed as IEC oversight
The DA, however, said this was an error caused by the IEC.
“The boxes with the special votes from May 27 and 28 had been stored in a secure IEC facility until this (Wednesday) morning, when they had to be driven out to the various polling stations so that those special votes could be counted together tonight.
Then the IEC made an oversight error with only two polling point boxes, namely Piesang Valley and Plett Primary sense and accidentally swapped them. This is purely an IEC review error, which was immediately corrected by them,” the party said.
The IEC said it was looking into the matter.
Meanwhile, EFF party agent Yaseen Khan told Sunday World this week that some voters have expressed their frustration and threatened to leave polling stations due to the long queues.
Voters frustrated with long queues
“This is a big issue here now. I had to plead with some voters who wanted to leave. Currently, there is only one computer being used to scan IDs and some minor glitches with the system. This is what is causing the delay,” he said.
An elderly voter said she was only informed after waiting in line for three hours that elderly voters were being assisted first.
“I have been queuing for three hours. I am a pensioner and no one told me that pensioners can just walk up to the front. It is frustrating because I thought it would be a quick and seamless voting day,” she said.
Director at the School of Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University, Professor Zwelinzima Ndevu said it was expected that the high voter turnout could lead to minor glitches and potential long queues.
Ndevu attributed the surge in voters to the growing dissatisfaction with the ruling party, as well as the rise in political parties and independent candidates participating in the election.
