LIMPOPO – About 25% of voters who applied for home visits in Limpopo could not be reached during special voting, with some unaware that applications had been submitted on their behalf by proxies.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in Limpopo said this was one of the key findings from the two days of special voting held on Monday and Tuesday, ahead of today’s local government elections.

Nearly a quarter of home visits unsuccessful

IEC Limpopo spokesperson Simon Thobakgale said officials conducted 81,136 home visits and recorded 121,355 special votes at voting stations by 18:00 on Tuesday. In total, more than 202,000 special votes were cast across the province.

He said some voters were not at their registered addresses when officials arrived to conduct home visits. In some cases, voters were unaware that proxies had applied for special votes on their behalf.

Despite these challenges, the IEC said it was satisfied with the overall administration of special voting. It said the process ran smoothly, with all affected voting stations opening and remaining operational throughout the two-day period.

Operational challenges reported

“The two days have provided valuable operational experience,” Thobakgale said.

He added that the commission had identified several operational issues that were being addressed, including attempts by some political parties to position their own security personnel at certain IEC warehouses.

“The IEC emphasised that its warehouses are restricted areas and access is governed by established security protocol,” he said.

The commission also reported break-ins at several schools designated as voting stations in the Musina A and Musina B voting districts. No electoral material was stolen, as all election materials were stored in secure facilities.

Meanwhile, storms in parts of the Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality affected some temporary voting stations housed in tents.

Ready for Election Day

The IEC said it was ready for today’s elections. Limpopo’s 3,315 voting stations will open at 07:00 and close at 21:00, with all voters already in the queue by 21:00 still permitted to cast their ballots.

Voters may only vote at the voting station where they are registered and must present either a green bar-coded ID book, a Smart ID card or a valid Temporary Identification Certificate. Home Affairs offices will be open from 07:00 to 21:00 to assist voters.