ActionSA seeks IEC probe into 215 disputed ballots in Mpumalanga
ActionSA says a count at a Mpumalanga school exceeded the ballots issued by 215 and has asked the IEC to investigate; the claims are unproven.
ActionSA has asked the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to investigate what it describes as a mismatch of 215 ballots at a voting station in Mpumalanga, and says the vote there should be run again if the problems are confirmed. The party made the claims in a statement reported by IOL on Friday.
What ActionSA alleges
According to IOL, the party says its agents at MP Malatjie Primary School tallied 1,315 votes. The voters’ roll records, however, show that only 1,100 ballots were handed out, which leaves the 215 ballots in dispute.
ActionSA also claims that a sealed box of ballot papers was brought to the station when no police officers or accredited observers were there. It says agents from the EFF, Mayibuye and the SACP questioned whether those ballots were valid.
The party further alleges that IEC officials carried on with the count despite those objections. It says they were reportedly backed by ANC agents. These are ActionSA’s claims, and the source report did not include a response from the IEC or the ANC.
Complaint and demands
ActionSA’s Mpumalanga chairperson, Victor Mothemela, confirmed that a formal complaint has gone to the IEC. The party refers to the Electoral Act 51 of 1996, and in particular Section 65, and wants the law applied fairly and consistently.
The party is asking the IEC to:
- give a full explanation of the 215 disputed ballots;
- investigate how they came to be found;
- act against anyone found to have broken electoral rules.
Mothemela said the commission must work independently and “without fear or favour”. He also warned that it should not apply the rules selectively or give any party preferential treatment.
ActionSA wants a fresh vote at the school, but only if an investigation finds that the integrity of the election was compromised to the point where the outcome cannot be relied on. Mothemela said the party would keep using lawful avenues to make sure the matter is looked into.
What this means for voters
Nothing has been proven so far. The figures and events described come from ActionSA and its agents, and no investigation findings have been announced. A re-run would only follow if the IEC, or another lawful process, finds that the result at this station was compromised.
Residents who voted at the station should watch for an official IEC statement on the complaint and on whether the results at the school stand.
This story is based on reporting by IOL.
