The Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) ability to run free and fair municipal elections in 2016 has come into question.
In her newsletter titled ‘Can we have confidence in a free and fair 2016 election?’, DA leader Helen Zille accused the ANC of seeking to control the IEC.
“[The] Independent Electoral Commission itself – once one of our most robust independent state institutions – is under serious threat of becoming another ANC lapdog,” she said in her weekly SA Today newsletter, published on the Democratic Alliance’s website.
Zille claimed that the ANC was determined to prevent any further losses at the ballot box, and was set to tackle the party’s declining support.
“It goes without saying that if the IEC becomes an extension of the ruling faction of the ANC, we can kiss free and fair elections goodbye,” she said.
“Of course this trend is likely to be disguised as something else: certain voting stations will ‘run out’ of ballot papers, certain ‘zip-zip’ machines will be defective, certain polling stations will open late, so that people get tired of waiting in queues and leave.”
Zille added that this trend was already evident at some Cape Town polling stations during this year’s national elections.
“When it happens in marginal wards in a local election it can alter the outcome. And when this happens in strong DA-supporting wards, it can alter the overall proportionality of the result.”
Meanwhile, United Democratic Movement leader, Bantu Holomisa and Economic Freedom Fighters leader, Julius Malema have echoed Zille’s sentiments.
In Gauteng, results of this year’s election revealed that the ANC’s support had declined significantly with the party securing only 52.3 percent of votes in Joburg, 49.3 percent in Tshwane and 55 percent in Ekurhuleni.
