UDM leader Bantu Holomisa called out party agents wearing political regalia while observing the voting process
Elections 2026
Photo for illustration purposes: Members of the Saps conduct routine observations at the Berario Recreation Centre IEC voting station, 27 May 2024, as voters take part in special voting. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen
Concerns over electoral compliance flared up on social media during special voting as United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa called out instances of party agents allegedly wearing political regalia while observing the process.
In video footage shared on X, Holomisa highlighted party agents wearing branded political clothing while observing voting operations.
“Guys, please be on the lookout. No party agents are allowed to wear their political party regalia. If you see this, object to it immediately,” Holomisa posted alongside the video.
LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more!
View MapWhat the rules state on political regalia
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) sets strict guidelines regarding political clothing near ballot boxes.
According to the IEC’s official code of conduct and voting station guidelines, it is strictly prohibited for party agents and candidates to wear any party-branded clothing or regalia inside a voting station.
“A party agent must not display or distribute any information about their party in any form, nor may they wear or carry any item that displays a party logo, picture or sign.”
This requirement is explicitly displayed on official “dos and don’ts” posters at all voting venues nationwide. While party agents serve a critical role in monitoring proceedings to guarantee a free and fair election, they are required to act as neutral observers inside the voting booth, wearing only official IEC-issued identification credentials.
IEC responds
The presence of party agents alongside IEC mobile voting teams was also raised during an official IEC media briefing on Monday, where a journalist questioned reports circulating on social media regarding staff being accompanied by party representatives in the Eastern Cape.
Responding to the query, IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Sheburi clarified the legal role party observers play during home visits.
“In terms of the scheme, party agents are allowed to observe special votes that are cast at home,” Sheburi explained. “For that reason, they may follow our teams to homes, and they may, with the permission of the homeowner, also get into the property to observe special votes.”
Sheburi emphasised that the home voting procedure follows the exact same security protocols as voting stations.
“Those special votes must be cast and deposited into double envelopes, for their safekeeping and for purposes of reconciliation. So, the presence of party agents, in and of itself, doesn’t indicate any wrongdoing,” he said.
While Sheburi addressed the presence of agents during home visits, the briefing did not explicitly tackle the specific issue raised regarding party agents wearing branded clothing while carrying out those observation duties.
The Citizen reached out to the IEC for official comment regarding the rules on wearing party logos during home visits and within voting environments. A response had not been received at the time of publication, and this story will be updated once feedback is provided.
