MBOMBELA – Come rain or shine, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in the province is ready for next week’s municipal elections.
“As the IEC in the province, we are confident to say that we are ready to conduct a free and fair election starting with our special voters on August 1 and 2, up to the main election on August 3, at all our 1 744 voting stations,” said Mr Steve Ngwenya, the provincial officer, during an exclusive interview with Mpumalanga News on Monday.
Ngwenya said they had appointed and trained 13 000 staff members to conduct the election procedures. He added that the IEC had received all material needed for the smooth running of the municipal elections.
In the province, 34 political parties will compete with 41 independent candidates, mostly from former KwaNdebele, Goven Mbeki Municipality and Secunda areas who had all signed the election code of Conduct in White River earlier in July. They all made a commitment to adhere to the code during elections. Ngwenya said all parties were expected to adhere to this code.
He added that since the beginning of the election campaigns, complaints received across political parties centered around the defacing and damaging of posters, and IEC had urged parties to refrain from doing so as it is against the code. “All complaints, including disruptions of parties’ campaigns, have lessened after talking to them. We are hence confident to have free and fair elections,” he said.
Ngwenya assured voters of equal and fair treatment for all on election day. “All parties are expected stick to the rules of the game, election regulations and the code of conduct. Voters must make sure to bring their green bar-coded ID, ID cards or temporary ID to the stations they are registered at, get in the queue and wait for their chance to cast their votes. Our officials are ready to help them.
“We expect people to come to our stations to vote. After voting, one can go and celebrate outside the demarcated voting stations,” he said.
He urged voters to be time conscious as voting stations will open at 07:00 and strictly close at 19:00. “We will definitely close at exactly 19:00,” he stressed.
Ngwenya warned voters against taking selfies with marked ballot papers.
“Once you have marked a ballot paper you cannot take a selfie,” he warned.
What is notable about this year’s election is that the IEC has received requests from a high percentage of voters to cast special votes.
“Those who applied for special votes must make sure that they are at their homes on those days so that when our team come to visit them, they find them home. Those not home on the day will still have the right to cast their votes at their nearest voting stations on August 3,” he concluded.
