By OBAKENG MAJE
As the results continue to trickle in from various voting stations, the 2024 General Elections were marred with challenges. This comes after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in North West said it has opened a few cases against Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) over disparities that took place at some voting stations.
According to the EFF provincial secretary, Papiki Babuile, they are not happy with how the IEC officials were conducting themselves in the province. Babuile said there were issues that they reported to the IEC before the election processes that needed to be addressed.
“We had issues on how the IEC presiding officers were conducting themselves and treating voters. However, that was not addressed and this resulted in voters being returned from various voting stations.
“For example, a voter’s name will be on the voters roll, but because that certain voter has now been married and changed her surname, she will be turned away and regarded as ineligible to vote,” he said.
Babuile further said there were other incidents that they have launched with the IEC. He added that some IEC officials allegedly allowed some voters who were not registered to vote.
“These voters did not appear on the voters roll, including Section 4 register. This happened in areas such as Wolmaransstad, Matlosana, Kagisano-Molopo, and Moretele. In Ditsobotla, ANC members were campaigning during the elections.
“However, the law is clear that no political party is allowed to campaign while elections are underway. We have also opened cases with the police after some ballot box seals were tampered with on Monday and Tuesday,” said Babuile.
He said in Kagiso-Molopo, they allegedly caught the presiding officer, who was escorted to the results centre, alone at the voting station with ballot boxes. However, Babuile lauded those who came out in numbers in quest of making the ‘necessary changes’.
“So, we believe that these elections were not free and fair according to what has transpired. IEC has allowed all these shenanigans to take place under their watch,” he said.
On the other hand, the Democratic Alliances (DA) Chairperson in North West, Winston Rabotapi said: “So far so good for the DA, even though there were some minor incidents that took place in various voting stations.
“We have seen emotions running high between individuals in various incidents, but at least those issues were addressed. Some of the voters would go to various voting stations, while under the influence of alcohol.
“So, we believe that these elections were free and fair.”
The ANC spokesperson in North West, Tumelo Maruping said they are extremely happy with the performance of the ruling party thus far. Maruping said in actual fact, they are happy that they have received more votes in Rustenburg and in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region.
“Equally, there are incidents where we felt that the members of the opposition parties were provoking our members so that there is chaos in those voting stations. That was the only way they would dim the victory of the ANC, however, we remain calm.
“There were incidents in Mamusa and Mahikeng, but we have reported those incidents. Some have already been resolved and we want to thank the residents of the North West for coming out in numbers and voting for the ANC,” he said.
Maruping said they targeted a minimum of 85% win, but seems they might get more.
Meanwhile, the IEC chairperson in North West, Dr Tumelontle Thiba could not respond to the allegations levelled against the IEC as she said she was in a managerial meeting.
The Guardian 