Cops must say if they’re probing politicians over double votes – ISS

Police would have to answer whether they would be investigating politicians who admitted to attempting to double vote during last week’s general elections, as they deliberately committed an offence, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said.

At least 24 people, including a journalist, were arrested for attempting to vote multiple times last week as many realised the indelible ink to mark their thumbs could be wiped off. Nineteen of the arrested people were from KwaZulu-Natal.

But some politicians admitted to instigating the double vote attempts.

Last week, EFF national chairperson Dali Mpofu admitted on a news channel to have influenced people to try and defraud the electoral act. He said he sent members to test the flawed system.

Mpofu said he asked people to test the system and requested Democratic Alliance members to do the same thing in Soweto.

“I don’t know conclusively but the person I spoke to said the tester was able to vote three times,” he said.

A Congress of the People (Cope) member of parliament, Deidre Carter, admitted to wiping off the indelible ink with Domestos bleach, and visited five voting stations where she was told she could vote.

“The second [presiding officer] said yes, people can actually go to other voting stations and go and vote more than once,” she admitted.

National police commissioner General Khehla Sitole said they were first dealing with suspects who committed the offence.

“After the arrest of the suspects, the investigation continues. Should we find any further criminals, not necessarily politicians, we will effect arrests,” he said.

But police had to announce whether they would investigate the politicians or not in order for the National Prosecuting Authority to decide on prosecuting, ISS researcher Johan Burger said.

“We would have to ask the police whether or not they are investigating cases where there is a clear pronouncement of a deliberate act to violate the electoral Act,” he said.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this story accidentally quoted journalist Linday Dentlinger instead of COPE MP Deidre Carter as having tested the voting system. We regret the error. 14:14, May 14. 

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.