VRYHEID KZN: Different experiences at local voting stations

The IEC (Independent Electoral Commission) held a final voter registration drive this past weekend (September 18 and 19). New voters had the opportunity to register in order to be part of the municipal elections on November 1, and existing voters could check if they were indeed on the voters’ roll and update their details.

People queued up with their Identity Documents at the different stations dotted around the country. While some stations were running smoothly, the Ward 8 community of Vryheid experienced delays with their registrations.

Councillor Magda Viktor showed great concern about the issue in the area of Sasko on Saturday. She explained that she received a text message at around 14:00, stating that a tent where registrations were supposed to take place was not yet erected and the party agents / IEC officials were sitting outside in an open field. She contacted the party agent and asked if what she was hearing was true or not. The party agent denied the allegations, even after the councillor received photos showing that the tent had not yet been put up. “I am really worried about what happened. If this can happen in Vryheid, what about the other rural places? People in rural areas are human beings too and should be treated in a respectful manner,” said Cllr Viktor. The people who turned up to register said that the party agents / IEC officials did their work, but under poor conditions.

Shelembe Swelakhe, who is the constituency co-ordinator for the DA (Democratic Alliance) and the ward candidate, visited the voting station in Sasko on Saturday and also said that nothing was in place when he arrived four to five hours later. “We are very concerned about their work ethic. Anyone who is responsible (service provider) must be held accountable. And another thing that happened is that the people who were there to erect the tent came with a vehicle that had ANC (African National Congress) flags. That makes me question what is really happening between the ANC and the IEC.”

DA provincial leader Zwakele Mncwango was contacted by the Vryheid Herald and said he felt that the service providers and the IEC did not take the people of that area seriously from the start. He commented on the issue of the toilets as well.

“The majority of the people who were working there were women. How can a woman use a toilet that is not in a proper condition? It did not have a door and the roofing was in a really bad state. When the IEC appoint service providers, they should do a follow-up on them. This might be taken as a minor issue, but such things show the integrity of the IEC, as everything points to the IEC and not the service providers.” Mncwango also touched on the issue of the vehicle that had ANC flags. “Service providers have their own political parties that they belong to, but on that specific day and in that manner, it was inappropriate, as there were different party agents at the station.” Mcwango hopes that, come election time, everything will be in place and sorted out, as he engaged with the IEC at provincial level and they intervened in the matter.

At other stations, things seemed to be under control, since no complaint was received. Thembelani Ndwandwe, a party agent from one of the political parties at the Karnellie voting station on Sunday, mentioned that, “At this voting station, everything is fine. Everything is being done accordingly, as everyone who is here is following the rules and the procedures.”

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