UMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) secretary-general Sihle Ngubane has criticised the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) after it “failed” to safeguard election materials at Chesterville.
Ngubane said MPK members became suspicious when they saw IEC materials being transported by ANC members driving eThekwini municipality vehicles.
“We know how these people work (ANC). They steal anything. Because we are aware of their shamanism, our members got worried and followed them to that particular warehouse which was guarded by the private security guards.
“Secondly, there were no police officers in that building to protect the material. Our members honestly thought ANC members were going to vote and put their own ballots into those boxes,” he said.
Ngubane laid the blame squarely on the commission, saying they had made many mistakes.
He denying police officers and soldiers to vote wherever they were deployed was one of the mistakes.
Ngubane said the IEC admitted that their ballot box seals were too weak. If one lifted a ballot box, the seal would break.
“One of the things IEC was doing was transporting the ballot boxes to a ‘secure’ location without the presence of the police.
“They were also transporting their materials using eThekwini Municipality cars. These were all things that got members angry, hence you saw that video circulating on social media.”
Ngubane said it was the responsibility of the IEC to inform its members that the place was their facility, adding that would have avoided the incident.
The commission accused the MKP of wilfully disrupting the transportation of its material to the storage venue in Chesterville.
It confirmed that the library to which the truck was delivering boxes of ballot papers was an IEC storage hub.
An IEC statement read: “We wish to clarify that the videos depict our planned logistical arrangements and storage of election materials as we prepare for the first day of special voting on 27 May 2024.
“These are legitimate and authorised arrangements for the distribution of ballot papers and other bulk material.”
In a party statement, spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the IEC had ignored allegations of voting fraud raised by the party in Hammarsdale and Chesterville.
He said: “It is of serious concern that the IEC has developed a no care attitude over these allegations. In Hammarsdale, our members reported a truck that was full of over 400 critical voting materials including ballot papers that were allegedly stolen and intended for ANC members.
“On Sunday more boxes of ballot papers were found at a funeral payout in Chesterville. These are serious matters that need urgent attention.”
The commission’s spokesperson, Kate Bapela, said the video showed the planned logistical arrangements and storage of election materials it was preparing for the first day of special voting on May 27.
Bapela said: “These are legitimate and authorised arrangements for the distribution of ballot papers and other bulk material. The planned security measures were that the trucks distributing ballot papers are escorted by the SAPS to the local storage site.
“These storage sites will then be guarded on a 24-hour basis. This arrangement would ensure that the storage sites are protected against unauthorised entry, burglary, and tampering with election materials and ensure detailed control and recording of all items in storage.”
The Star