By Celani Sikhakhane
The Independent Electoral Commision has accused the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party of disrupting the transporting of election material to the Commission’s storage sites in Chesterville and Hammarsdale, north of Durban.
This comes after MK party members stormed the Hammarsdale library in Mpumalanga township, west of Durban, on Saturday night after they saw a truck delivering sealed IEC boxes.
They also invaded the home of an IEC official in Chesterville when they saw voting materials being delivered to the Methodist Church, where they apparently thought vote rigging was taking place in the church.
In Hammarsdale, the angry mob rushed to the library and called on police to impound the truck they suspected was being used to vote rig, with the boxes being stored at the library.
They questioned the truck driver on why the ballots were being delivered to the library and not to voting stations.
The IEC confirmed the incidents on Sunday.
It said that the library where the truck was delivering boxes of ballot papers is in fact an IEC storage hub.
“We wish to clarify that the videos depict our planned logistical arrangements and storage of election materials as we prepare for the first day of special voting on 27 May 2024. These are legitimate and authorised arrangements for the distribution of ballot papers and other bulk material,” the IEC statement read.
After the chaos, IEC officials took those boxes and other voting materials back to the Commission’s offices.
But the MK party members would not give up and ran to occupy the electoral offices.
MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela said the IEC had ignored allegations of voting fraud raised by the party in Hammarsdale and Chesterville.
“It is of serious concern that the IEC has developed a no care attitude over these allegations. In Hammarsdale our members reported a truck that was full of over 400 critical voting materials including ballot papers that were allegedly stolen and intended for ANC members.
“On Sunday more boxes of ballot papers were found at a funeral payout in Chesterville. These are serious matters that need urgent attention from the IEC but they choose to ignore them,” said Ndlela.
The Commission says it is still contemplating taking measures against the party and the individuals involved as such obstruction to election activities should not be tolerated.
“This conduct violates the Code of Conduct and other electoral prescripts.”
Pictured above: uMkhonto Wesizwe party members stormed the IEC storage hub at Hammarsdale library when they suspected vote rigging.
Images source: Supplied
