Election scanner glitches, but you’ve done your duty

Now that the dust of polling day is settling and we’re preparing ourselves for the undoubted torrent of complaints and accusations to come forth – even ahead of the results announcement – we ordinary South Africans need to take a moment to reflect.

But, first and foremost, we need to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done… the civic duty to vote.

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Casting your vote yesterday may have been for a particular party, or parties, or even individuals, but it was more than that – it was a rousing vote of confidence in the South African democracy.

Despite myriad glitches at polling stations across the country, voters took it largely in good spirit, reminded of those joyous times, 30 years ago, when all people were given the opportunity to vote for the first time.

In an exercise of this magnitude – and this was the biggest election yet in terms of supplies and support people needed – there were bound to be aspects which did not run smoothly.

There were scanners that did not work, necessitating manual verification, which delayed the process. In some places, there were not enough staff or supplies.

But none of this amounted to an election which was not substantially free and fair.

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It is worrying that the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has come under fire in the past few days, particularly from Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party, for allegedly helping the ANC to rig the results.

The IEC may have been appointed by the government, but in all our dealings with its top officials, we have found nothing which would call into question the credibility of the organisation.

In raising doubts about the IEC, Zuma and his comrades are threatening the very essence of democracy, being prepared to bring the whole house down if they lose.