SHARPEVILLE. – Two ballot boxes, one provincial and one national, were found lying in a street near the voting district polling station in Rooisten, Sharpeville last Thursday.
This was one day after the national elections. The boxes were lying outside in the street between the Presbyterian- and Anglican Church. The controversial question on everyone’s lips was, were the elections rigged, and where were the ballot papers that were supposed to go with the boxes?
According to a witness, two minors were spotted playing with the boxes outside a Voting district station. The pair ran away when a witness asked them how they came across the boxes. Sedibeng Ster arrived at the scene and witnessed the boxes sealed and dated 6, 7, and 8 May. The community members who voted in one of the churches a few meters from the two churches mentioned said that the boxes belong to the voting station they were found outside of.
No ballot papers could be found within the vicinity of the area where the boxes were dumped. Twenty seven political parties have threatened to take legal action against the IEC over alleged election tempering.
Karina Human, IEC regional supervisor in Sedibeng, said the ballot box(es) which were used on special votes were returned to the local IEC warehouses after the stations closed. “During counting all the ballot boxes are opened for counting and once counting is concluded it’s advisable to return only one ballot box which contains all the ballot papers for the respective elections.
“Due to the limited space in private vehicles only security materials are returned on the night of the Election,” said Human further adding that the security materials are transported in the presence of a traffic officer between the voting stations and the local IEC offices. “It was instructed that IEC branded items be returned to the warehouse. Currently all the ballot boxes are safely kept at the warehouse,” she concludes.
