WATCH: Political parties in Western Cape file objection with IEC over voting irregularities

As vote counting in the 2024 national and provincial elections draws to a close, several political parties in the Western Cape filed objections with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) over irregularities at some of the voting districts.

Tensions ran high at the IEC’s results operation center in the Western Cape on Friday night after the Democratic Alliance (DA) reached one million votes in the province.

The final election results are expected to be announced on Sunday.

Watch: political parties disrupt Western Cape Premier Alan Winde’s speech

🚨BREAKING: It appears that political parties in the Western Cape are alleging that the DA has engaged in electoral fraud related to discrepancies between votes declared by party agents and those declared by the IEC. pic.twitter.com/2o29zEioIr

— Matthew Tsakani George (@MatJGeorge) May 31, 2024

Objections

Several opposition parties in the Western Cape have made claims of irregularities and called for a recount of the votes.

Opposition party leaders surrounded and disrupted Premier Alan Winde‘s celebratory speech with chants of “the DA must go”. They demanded a recount of the votes.

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘We don’t hate white’ people says EFF as it celebrates one ‘revolutionary’ vote in Orania

The ANC, EFF, Cope, Freedom Front Plus, Good and Al-Jamah, among others, have made an objection to the IEC.

“We, the undersigned political parties, noting the provisions of Section 55 objections in terms of the said act and the 21:00 deadline on said day and given numerous inconsistencies raised at the PLC meeting this evening at the IEC Results Centre that have not been responded to, and while we reserve our rights herein as political parties to raise objections in terms of S(55), we jointly request condonation until 48 hours after the last ballot paper has been scanned and submitted for verification,” the parties said in a letter to the IEC.

Several political parties in the Western Cape have filed objections with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) over votes in the province. #ElectionResults #WesternCape #IEC @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/M8NDlZmr0d

— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) May 31, 2024

IEC to investigate

IEC head Michael Hendricks said the commission will investigate the claims by the pollical parties.

“What we have here are contestants, they have issues and objections and the route is very clear for them to follow. Whether there’s merit in their allegations, that is something to be determined. Remember you make out a claim and that claim has to be investigated and they will be investigated by the commission.”

IEC responds to parties raising objections to the results in the Western Cape. "Whether there's merit in their allegations, that's something to be determined. They will be investigated by the commission," IEC's Michael Hendricks says. #ElectionResultshttps://t.co/0G0KZ6opZQ pic.twitter.com/peD5oKsGDq

— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) May 31, 2024

Ace Magashule claims vote rigging

Meanwhile, leader of the African Congress for Transformation (ACT) and former ANC Secretary General, Ace Magashule, said he believes votes may have been rigged.

Magashule on Friday asked the IEC to do a recount and investigate a possible fraud after alleged widespread vote rigging that he claimed occurred at many voting stations in the Free State, Gauteng and North West.

WATCH | Ace Magashule, leader of the African Congress for Transformation (ACT) says the elections have been rigged. He says “there are a lot of irregularities which can be proven in a court of law and to the IEC. We have caught people red handed”. He is adamant that he has not… pic.twitter.com/ycwcIz1vHo

— Mail & Guardian (@mailandguardian) May 31, 2024

With nearly all voting districts counted, the ACT has a little over 5 500 votes in the Free State.

Magshule, who was the former premier of the Free State, formed the ACT after he was booted out of the governing ANC.

ALSO READ: ACT’s Magashule says election is rigged, wants IEC to do a recount