Update: 15:00 – The voting process which seemingly went smoothly in most polling stations in Alexandra was marred at the end at one station – Women of Peace -when during the early hours of counting the votes this morning there were allegations of impropriety leveled at the ANC by the IFP.
The three allegations were that IFP members had seen a number ballot boxes in an ANC branded vehicle and both ANC and IEC officials failed to provide a satisfactory response to the allegation.
Secondly, an ANC official who was not accredited for the polling station had been seen among officials conducting himself like an official of the station.
Thirdly, the IFP also alleged that though the IEC and ANC had different offices it was a strange coincidence that they shared the same premises where the alleged ballot boxes had been seen in an ANC vehicle.
According to Muzi Ntuli, the IFP election Coordinator for the area, they convened a meeting with IEC and ANC officials and agreement to forward their allegation to the IEC before tomorrow’s deadline for lodging complaints.
He said, his party had evidence of the boxes in the ANC branded vehicle. They were also concerned that the contested constituency which includes the formerly infamous Madala hostel had previously been under IFP control and indications had been that it would remain so.
Mpho Moerane, ANC chairperson in Alexandra said the confrontation had been diffused through a discussion which recommended that the IFP lodge a complaint with the IEC. He said the voting process in all of Alexandra had proceeded smoothly except for this incident and that it was just a mere desire by the IFP to win when they knew the ANC was going to be the victor.
According to Ntuli the alleged hostage taking of IEC and ANC officials was a ploy to deflect the serious allegations of breach of regulations leveled against both ANC and the IEC.
“Our members had just been demanding for answers to these allegations”. Crowds that had gathered earlier to witness the non violent confrontation had dispersed in the presence of a heavy police guard.
Update: 13:55pm – According to our journalist at the scene the tension at the ANC office in Alexandra has been resolved.
IFP member, Muzi Ntuli said, “There was no taking of hostages, we just had an issue with the ANC counsellor who was at the polling station. He was not accredited to be at the station. We also had an issue with ballot boxes being moved in an ANC branded vehicle.”
It is belived that the IEC had hired the ANC vehicle to move the ballot boxes.
It is alleged by IFP members that the ANC officials had tampered with the ballot boxes.
It is alleged that the ANC and the IEC are sharing an office which also raised tensions in the area.
Alexandra’s ANC branch chairman, Mpho Moerane, said, “There is no evidence that the ballot boxes where moved in an ANC vehicle. The IFP should lodge an official complaint with the IEC if they have any issues.”
According to our Alex News journalist at the scene, IFP members have stated that they have evidence of this happening in the form of pictures. The members also stated that they will lay a formal complaint to the IEC before the deadline closes, which is tomorrow.
Initial report: 1pm – According to media reports, ANC and IEC officials were taken hostage by IFP hostel-dwellers earlier this morning after surrounding an ANC office in Alexandra, Joburg north.
The report stated that Gauteng ANC spokesman, Nkenke Kekana said the “situation is turning ugly. ANC party agents were held hostage from 3am, threatened with their lives.”
It is believed that ANC members were held hostage by IFP members after the ANC won all of the voting districts in the IFP stronghold of Alexandra’s Madala and Nobuhle hostels.
300 IFP supporters allegedly stormed the ANC office in Alex this morning and demanded that ANC members along with branch chairman, Mpho Moerane, leave.
Moerane said in the report that the drama began to unfold when they realised that what they believed to be spoiled ballots was in fact, ANC ballot papers.
It is believed that the police along with IEC officials attempted to reason with the IFP members but this proved unsuccessful.
Moerane said, “Police arrived and calmed the situation and we then went back to our offices at the Multipurpose Centre in Alexandra.”
IFP members demanded that they search the ANC offices, following the IFP members allegedly storming the IEC offices and querying the polls.
An Alex News journalist is on the way to the scene for the latest on the situation.
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