adminPRETORIA/BLOEMFONTEIN. —South Africa’s 22 263 voting stations are expected to open on schedule at 7am today, ready to handle a potential 25,39 million registered voters, said Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa chairperson Pansy Tlakula. “You can now report to the people of South Africa and registered voters that we are ready to deliver yet another free and fair election, and we will do so efficiently,” Tlakula told reporters at the IEC’s Results Operations Centre in Pretoria on Monday.
“It is now up to the voters to make their choice, and we appeal to all voters to respect the rights of others to choose a political party of their choice . . . Our future as a country is in your hands, this is your country, this is your moment, vote and vote wisely.”
Tlakula also appealed to the country’s political parties “to respect our process and to work with our officials and security to ensure peaceful and smooth elections”.
She said a total of 20 736 voting stations were situated at permanent venues — including schools, place of worship, ethnic authority sites, clinics and hospitals, while 1 495 voting stations were located at temporary venues.
There are also 32 mobile voting stations, which are in far-flung voting districts, where a vehicle moves between pre-determined stopping points to meet voters.
According to Tlakula, all voting materials have been distributed to the IEC’s local warehouses, including 62 892 200 ballot papers — 31 411 100 national and 31,491,100 provincial ballot papers
She said 211 032 temporary positions have been filled and training completed for voting station staff.
“Additionally, some 4 563 area managers have been appointed to oversee voting activities within district areas. Along with permanent IEC staff, this brings to approximately 218 000 the staff working on the elections.”
Meanwhile, the IEC in the Free State fired an area manager during the special voting period, the provincial IEC head said yesterday.
“We shook hands with the manager,” Chris Mepha told journalists in Bloemfontein.
The manager apparently refused to hand voting material to the presiding officer of the Khotsofalo farm school voting station.
No reason was given for the manager’s actions. The IEC said the station had 14 special votes applications.
IEC officials were also investigating a problem at the Kestell Old Age home voting station in the Maluti-a-Phofung area.
The facility apparently told IEC staff no proper arrangements had been made for special votes.
“In Moqhaka (Kroonstad) not all (voting centres) opened on time. At a temporary voting station chairs and tables were not available but the voting continued.”
Mepha said despite these issues special voting went ahead without major problems. The province had more than 23 000 special vote applications.
IEC officials visited more than 10 000 homes for special votes and more than 4 400 special voters visited voting stations.
Mepha said IEC officials would continue taking special votes.
“They must visit all those who have applied.”
He urged all those registered to vote today. “Your vote is your voice,” he said, adding all South Africans should embrace democracy.
In another development, special voting recommenced in Lorraine yesterday, near Trichardtsdal, after protests in the area, Limpopo police said.
“This followed a meeting with various stakeholders, including community members, police officials, provincial government, and the local municipality to discuss the grievances and to find a possible solution,” Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said.
Protesters blocked the roads in the area and stopped IEC officials from conducting special votes on Monday and part of yesterday.
The special votes included home visits to people unable to get to voting stations. Mulaudzi said police would escort IEC officials around the area as a precaution.
“More police officials have also been deployed in the area to ensure that voting goes smoothly,” he said.
The protesters were apparently unhappy about a new shopping mall being built in the area and the condition of roads. Residents had threatened not to vote in today’s election. — SAnews.gov/Sapa.
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