Alleged impostor targets political parties in electoral scam

Is the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) running a vote-rigging scam or is an impostor hoping to reap financial gain from unsuspecting political parties?

“Impostor” promises to manipulate votes to give the UDM extra seats

That’s the question that has emerged after Bantu Holomisa’s United Democratic Movement (UDM) was contacted by an alleged “impostor” posing as IEC chair Mosotho Moepya with a promise to manipulate votes to give the UDM extra seats in parliament in the 2024 elections.

All the party had to do was purchase a hi-tech gadget that would make that happen without anyone knowing about it.

IEC was quick to distance itself from the scam

But the IEC was quick to distance itself from the scam and Moepya’s involvement and indicated it had been brought to its attention and reported to the SA Police Service (Saps).

According to the commission, it was “patently impossible” to scam the IEC system because of “inherent controls and safeguards in the electoral process”.

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Holomisa was contacted by the man earlier this month. He said the man told him he would like to help the UDM to secure seats in parliament in the 2024 elections.

He promised to manipulate the IEC IT systems. All that the UDM had to do was to purchase a Samsung 2TN 17 portable SSD at a nominal price and that would do the trick. The gadget would allow tampering with the hardware of the IEC systems without anyone being aware of it, he said.

Holomisa is taking no chances and has called for transparency in the IEC’s dealings with its hardware and soft service providers to ensure there was no cheating.

Magashule said he was aware of a vote-rigging scam in the IEC

The news came a week after former ANC secretary-general and now leader of the African Congress for Transformation Ace Magashule said he was aware of a vote-rigging scam in the IEC but did not give details.

Also, leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe party, Jacob Zuma, implied there was vote manipulation by the IEC when he questioned why ballots were counted in secret and not in the open.

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In a letter to IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo, Holomisa said the man asked him to contact “Teboho Motaung”, an IT specialist at the IEC who would help the party to secure seats in parliament.

Holomisa said they tracked the number for Motaung using the TrueCaller application. They found “Teboho Motaung” listed as “My Friend” while Mosotho Moepya was identified as “Sabelo Mani”.

The UDM leader contacted the party’s representative on the IEC national party liaison committee, Thandi Nontenja, and they reported the matter to Mamabolo to enable him to raise awareness about it and to determine whether it was a scam operated in the IEC’s name or an internal vote-rigging scam run by someone within the IEC.

“This incident necessitates greater transparency in terms of information on the hardware and software of IEC service providers,” Holomisa said.

ANC warned about a scam involving an impostor posing as Moepya

Previously this month, the ANC warned about a scam involving an impostor posing as Moepya.

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The commission said the alleged impostor used WhatsApp number 071-553-2922.

“In at least two incidents, he has conversed with unsuspecting leaders of political parties purporting to arrange unlawful conduct relating to the outcomes of the elections. The aim is ostensibly monetary gain.”