IEC offices in Midrand respond to pictures taken of blank ballot papers and broken seals shared on social media
MIDRAND – Local IEC offices in Midrand say there were no irregularities, the empty ballot boxes were not used during the voting period.
Local IEC offices in Midrand have responded to the claims from a concerned resident, Lexy Shunmoogam, who posted pictures on Facebook taken at 16th Road at Johannesburg Metro Offices in Midrand of broken ballot boxes, broken seals and blank ballots.
Local IEC officer in Midrand, Sam Mblati, said the pictures on the Facebook page were taken at the parking lot where offloading was taking place. “It is a municipal office, we don’t have that kind of office or warehouse to offload, so we have to offload in the parking area and then take the boxes inside. There were no irregularities as far as we are concerned.”
Click here to see the post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/664240503622582/permalink/2444652698914678/
Mblati added that most of the boxes in the picture are flattened. “They are empty, these boxes were being returned from stations they were done with, voting stations were closed and counting was completed.
“The boxes were not used during voting, so we returned them, ballot boxes used during voting are taken inside.”
Ward 112 councillor Madeleine Hicklin said, “[The DA] has referred the matter to the IEC for investigation. Until we have received feedback from that investigation, neither myself, as the DA Midrand constituency chairperson, or the DA is in a position to comment.”
Mblati replied in saying that they welcomed that.
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