[WATCH] DA alleges they have evidence of election irregularities
Democratic Alliance provincial leader Jacques Smalle during a video interview earlier this morning alleged that the DA had video recordings of election irregularities.
POLOKWANE – Democratic Alliance provincial leader Jacques Smalle told Review that the DA ran similar monitoring systems as the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and that various irregularities were uncovered during the election process and with procedural requirements. Smalle said there are certain things the party was very concerned about.
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Smalle also alleged that some results were tampered with by IEC officials, and that boxes were removed by IEC officials without being escorted by police officials. He further alleged that ballot papers were brought into a voting station at Thohoyandou, which were not part of the ballot papers originally brought to the voting station.
In a press conference later the afternoon, IEC Provincial Coordinator, Nkaro Mateta said objections and disputes are inherent to the election process and there are ways and means to address these. She said any party may lodge complaints with the Commission regarding irregularities, interferences, obstructions or intimidation during elections. She said the Commission may reject or uphold complaints and parties have seven days to appeal to the electoral court, which have the status of a supreme Court. The Commission have various remedies to address complaints. Mateta said Blouberg votes were being recounted as she addressed the media, as there were complaints about various wards.
She said votes at Musina did not add up, and the sealed boxes were handed over to the auditor, but said fatigue may have played a role. She said the sealed ballot boxes may not be opened by the auditor, but the results may have to be re-ordered in the presence of police.
She said Westenburg and Noorderland results also did not tally and had to be recounted, so they were the last of the voting stations to finish counting. With regard to double voting she said samples were taken and will be compared to special votes, as those applying for special votes had to supply their ID numbers and those voting at voting stations’ names were scratched out when they voted.
“It is a criminal offence, punishable by law to vote more than once, “ she said.
Smalle afterwards said some 38 complaints lodged by the party out of 89 had not yet been addressed by the Commission.
