Re: The IEC’s independence and other questions

‘Just Wondering’ writes:-
I WISH to thank the Vryheid Herald for the coverage it has given the Ward 22 by-election scandal. I hope that your readers have made the effort to read all the reports because it is important that we conserve and protect our democracy, whose pillars rests on free and fair elections.
I would also like to thank Mr Lotter for his courage, and strong will in this matter. I do not know what his motive is, and it might simply be that he wants to prevent the erosion of the democratic process. Certainly, it appears that he wished to stand as a candidate in Ward 22 as an independent, so we do know that we was not grinding the axe of any political party. Thank you, Mr Lotter.
The Vryheid Herald has hinted at something that I wish to actually make the subject of this letter. This is the possible IEC involvement in this matter, and not as an independent party.
I have to ask:
How was it possible for the IEC officials on the ground, at the polling stations where this irregular voter registration took place, how was it possible for them NOT to have been suspicious when all these people suddenly arrived? How come Mr Lotter saw it, saw something suspicious, and not the officials? In fact, has the IEC in its investigations into the matter, looked at a possible connivance between the officials and the political parties involved in the election. How do we know that the Independence of the IEC has not been compromised by an official turning a blind eye, or being paid to turn a blind eye, at these illegal registrations?
And why did the IEC, despite the evidence, compel Mr Lotter to go all the way to the Electoral Court to get the first postponement in April? If he could see it, if the Electoral Court could see it simply from Mr Lotter’s evidence, why could the IEC not see that something was decidedly fishy in Ward 22? Why was the IEC so reluctant to admit its mistake?
And there was a huge mistake. The IEC later admitted that there were over 1,500 mistakes. Why did it behave so churlishly when its prime reason for existing in the first place is to ensure free and fair elections? The IEC should have applauded Mr Lotter, but I have a very definite feeling that he will not be on the Christmas card list of any high-up IEC official.
Then there’s the question of the deafening silence from the participating political parties. To my knowledge, not one party has accused the other of this voter registration fraud, and there very definitely has been a huge case of electoral fraud committed in Ward 22.
But the ANC has not accused the IFP of being the perpetrator, nor the IFP accused the ANC, nor has the NFP and the ACDP pointed fingers at anyone. I find this very curious. I find this especially odd. I find this hugely suspicious. It seems to me to be a conspiracy of silence brought about by the fear that one accusation will lead to another.
The whole thing stinks, and the worrying thing is that the stink resembles the huge stench that won Robert Mugabe his umpteen presidency.
And the losers in this case?
As you said in the Vryheid Herald, the losers are the real residents in Ward 22, whose democratic rights to have a councillor of their choice was to be hijacked so that the politicians’ choice was elected instead.