An estimated 1.3 million special votes had been cast by midday today (November 3), on the final day of special voting. 

While the voting process has proceeded smoothly since this morning, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said that over the past 24 hours, its information integrity hub has identified attempts to discredit the election process, especially via social media platforms. 

“Unsubstantiated election fraud pronouncements by some political parties have led to supporters posting videos of presiding officers and staff transferring special vote ballots, after home visits, from the carrying boxes and bags into the main ballot box,” explained Sy Mamabolo, the IEC’s CEO. 

“The videos are shared without context, alongside claims that something untoward is happening.” 

He appealed to political parties to avoid inflammatory remarks that misrepresent standard procedures for voting and handling election materials. 

Arrests follow voting station disruptions 

Mamabolo says criminal behaviour by some political party supporters and candidates has also increased. 

In Mpumalanga, a candidate for the EFF in Ward 30 at the Phake Rankaile Voting District allegedly stormed a voting station and damaged electoral materials, before being arrested by the SAPS. 

In KZN, alleged supporters of the MK Party are reported to have stormed the Dasenhoek Library satellite warehouse where election materials are kept and held election officials hostage. Public Order Policing officers were called in to disperse them and secure the officials and election materials. The group left peacefully after engagement with the SAPS. 

Alleged MK Party supporters also attempted to gain unlawful entry into IEC election materials storage facilities in Richmond, UMhambathi and Pietermaritzburg. 

In the Eastern Cape, two people went to Ngcobo Police Station, where security materials were kept, under the pretext that they were IEC officials collecting the materials for the EC137-Engcobo voting station. They failed to obtain the materials. 

According to Mamabolo, they were identified as members of the Engcobo Yethu Civic Organisation, and one of the individuals, a PR councillor candidate for the party, has since been arrested by the SAPS. 

Legal steps 

Mamabolo says this conduct cannot be justified nor allowed to impair the country’s democratic processes, and the IEC is taking legal steps to bring the identified individuals and political parties to account. 

“The commission would like to appeal to all contesting political parties and candidates to adhere to the code of conduct until the end of the election process,” he added.  

Final window for special voters 

The commission continued with home visits and voting station operations until 17:00. Those who were unable to cast their special vote can do so tomorrow (November 4) at their registered voting station. 

Voters can check their voting stations by sending their ID number via WhatsApp to 0600 88 0000 or by SMS to 32810 for R1 per SMS. Voters will then be sent the name of their registered voting station and their voters’ roll sequence number. 

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