Logistical issues, community protests affected some voting stations

The IEC has reassured that the late delivery of ballot papers and other logistical issues that voters experienced at some Joburg voting stations did not violate any election legal framework. 

The problems we have experienced today are not intractable. They do not amount to deviation from the legal requirement and the standard for free and fair elections. We are dealing with them with stakeholders, and we will be sending a clear instruction to the presiding officer on how to deal with the situation going forward,” said Masego Sheburi, IEC deputy CEO of Electoral Operations.

The glitches were experienced in Region 3 of the city, which covers areas such as Sandton, Dunkeld, Hyde Park and Roodepoort and these were due to the departure from the strict instruction of delivery.

“Some people were being innovative and, in the process, delayed supply of voting materials to those stations,” said Sheburi. 

“The issue of ballot papers in Johannesburg is not because of shortage in the supply. IEC presiding officers and area managers are responsible for the rollout of logistics to voting stations. Where there are not enough teams, it is easier to escort those people. This morning an assessment was made that there won't be enough teams to escort all those teams of presiding officers and managers.

“It was agreed that bigger vehicles will be used to transport a cluster of voting stations so that there could be better escorts of those materials. One vehicle had to deliver at multiple areas and that caused delays at arriving at certain stations,” said Sheburi.

He said Craighall Primary School received its supplies are 8.45am. 

He said the Eastern Cape had five stations that could not immediately open due to service delivery protests and these were in Ntabankulu, Winnie Mandela, Port St Johns and Nyandeni. However, they were eventually opened by mid-morning on Wednesday with the help of the police.

Two other stations in eThekwini and uMziwabantu in KZN delayed opening due to community protests.

“The commission assures voters that adequate supplies of all material including 90 million ballot papers for all the three ballot types are available and every voter will be assisted to vote before voting stations close,” said  Sheburi. 

The commission said by 12pm election operations around the country reported good progress with minimal incidents reported and that they expected to meet or surpass 66% of voter turnout by the end of the end at 9pm.

At least 27 million people registered to vote this year.