DA lays fraud charge against IEC official

THE DA laid a criminal charge at the Polokwane police station last Tuesday, against an official of the IEC in Musina who allegedly failed to record DA votes on the national ballot during the election two weeks ago.

Jacques Smalle, Limpopo DA leader, said they were certain that deliberate electoral fraud took place at this voting station. He said the police should investigate and get to the bottom of the matter. According to Smalle, the IEC should ban the presiding officer responsible for this voting station from ever working in a voting station again.

“Two days after the elections, our party agent in Musina discovered that the official results slip for the National Ballot 2014 at the Musina High School voting station was not reflecting the votes as counted. The DA received 83 votes on the provincial ballot, but none reflected on the national ballot. We also discovered that the EFF had 151 votes recorded on the provincial ballot but none on the national ballot,” he said.

“Our party agent at this voting station has confirmed that he never signed the national results slip and that the signature on it must be fake.

“The DA is concerned that this was all deliberately done to deflate the DA and EFF support at this voting station. The DA reported this to the provincial electoral officer at the IEC results centre. We requested a complete recount at this voting station. The recount revealed that the results slip was incorrect and that our party agent was correct.

“The DA and EFF did receive votes on the national ballot as well,” he said.

“We want the police to investigate the matter urgently and ensure that steps are taken against the presiding officer with immediate effect,” said Smalle.

IEC provincial electoral officer, Nkaro Mateta confirmed they had received a complaint from the DA in this regard.

She said a recount had been done, and a mistake was found and rectified.

“We can’t just fire people, we must investigate and take a decision from there,” said Mateta.