IEC reverses decision to cancel University of Limpopo voting station
The IEC reversed its decision to remove the University of Limpopo as a voting station after the EFF and students protested outside its Bendor offices.
POLOKWANE – The commissioner of IEC in Limpopo, Nkaro Mateta, has confirmed to Review Online that an earlier decision to cancel out University of Limpopo as a voting station ahead of the local government elections (LGE) has been reversed.
Both stations will now serve voters
Now, both Hwiti Secondary School and the University will serve as voting districts, after about 6000 voters of the latter were redirected to the school, stationed one-two kilometres away.
When party members, including students, demonstrated outside of the commission’s offices in Bendor today (Friday) ahead of the already scheduled meeting, they imagined the move as sabotage.
EFF says it was not consulted
Rebecca Mohlala said they were told the intention was to alleviate long queues moving beyond 21:00, making it difficult for IEC administrators to manage. However, the EFF had not been consulted, nor was public participation done to reflect the institution as independent.
The EFF viewed the change as an attack on its constituency, as the party holds a majority among University of Limpopo students. The EFF’s students’ command consistently leads the student representative council at the university.
“Issues experienced at that voting station were caused by IEC’s incompetence and it has promised to increase voting rooms and other infrastructure at both voting stations,” she explained.
IEC: ‘Changes are administrative’
However, Mateta told Review Online that the changes are administrative and not politically charged, insistent that it was ” done in consultation with political parties anyway”.
Still, Mohlala said the move showed minimal effort to show independence. In the EFF’s view, the commission should emulate the Demarcation Board by holding public participation meetings before making decisions.
She alleged that a change made through a political lens would only reduce voter turnout, which is already falling with each election.
EFF promises vigilance
The understanding from both ends was that those set to vote at the University will do so even in this voting season, while Hwiti will also serve as another station for those going to register going forward, Mohlala mentioned.
“We are going to be alert and vigilant in all 3223 voting districts of Limpopo and fight any shenanigans by the IEC,” she concluded.
