Election rigging is impossible in South Africa, says Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reassured South Africans that there will be no vote rigging in the upcoming national and provincial elections.

The IEC runs free and fair elections

In an interview with the SABC on Monday night Ramaphosa said the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) was one of the best elections agencies in the world with the ability to run smooth and fair elections.

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“There is no way that you can rig elections in South Africa with that type of transparency we have put in place some of the best systems in IT with manual and remember that our elections are manual,” Ramaphosa said.

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The president was reacting to comments that had been made by former ANC leaders such as Ace Magashule and former president Jacpb Zuma who had questioned the legitimacy of elections in South Africa.

“Whoever talks about vote rigging they have their own intentions because I also heard they expect to get two thirds majority and if they don’t get two thirds majority there will be instability in the country,” he said.

Ramaphosa said South Africa was not a banana republic and the rule of law along with the people of South Africa would not tolerate inferences to vote rigging.

“That will not be allowed here in South Africa. The freedom we have was hard fought for and the right to vote that our people won they are not going to rob them that because they exercise it with care, with caution and transparently,” Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa said it was irresponsible for former leaders of the ANC to be casting aspersions on state agencies such as the IEC.

“Even if they were running the ANC they are not the IEC I am not the IEC I am not in the workings of the IEC and would never want to be,” he said.

Ramaphosa said he had noticed that the IEC had been fair in occasions where elections were held. He described those that were casting aspersions on the IEC as losers.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa said the ANC would accept any outcome of the election results.