Is this a sign of what will unfold on May 29?
Last week I attended a mock voting event at SPARK Rynfield where IEC officials were invited to educate learners about the election process and about the most fundamental right of every citizen – the power of voting!
I was very disappointed to witness this great initiative turn into chaos.
As a seasoned journalist who has been in the field for nine years, I’ve never stayed at an event for four hours like I did that day – sadly, not by choice.
This voting educational event was supposed to start at 09:00 but only kicked off at 12:00.
When I arrived, security guards at the school hinted that the IEC officials had not arrived so I decided to sit in the car for another 15 minutes.
I then went to speak to the principal who politely indicated that the officials were running late but would be there by 10:00.
One IEC official eventually turned up at around 09:50 and the team from the school hastily started helping him unpack and put up the IEC banners and other equipment. Then the official left again to fetch the IEC vests he’d forgotten at home!
A colleague of his arrived at 10:20 and said she was sick. Was there no other team member who could’ve stood in for her?
At last the ‘forgotten vests’ official returned and we’re all excited to get the programme underway.
But, their wireless speaker presented technical glitches so the waiting continued. It was nearly 11:00.
The officials were running around like headless chickens trying to unpack ballot boxes and organising school staff to act as IEC officials for the mock exercise.
Their late arrival and lack of preparation not only impacted the school day but my appointments too.
Was this a show of incompetency because their audience was merely children, was it due to unforeseen circumstances or is this just the way they do things? I guess we’ll never know.
I sincerely hope this was not a sign of things to come on May 29.
Will IEC officials be ready? I guess this remains to be seen.
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