Election fraud complaint targets Cape Town poll
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on IOL
Zelt Marais went to the police after claiming independent candidate Mogamat Rashard Davids was credited with zero votes in Cape Town's Ward 60. The TRUTH movement is also calling for a recount across Western Cape, IOL reports.
South African police have opened an investigation into election fraud following a complaint by Zelt Marais, former president of the Western Province Rugby Football Union, who claims independent candidate Mogamat Rashard Davids was credited with zero votes even though he says he voted for him in Cape Town's Ward 60. Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel FC van Wyk confirmed the case was opened on Friday and said it would be transferred to Lansdowne police station for further investigation, IOL reports.
The official counting sheets from the Savio Hall polling station, signed by counting officer June Franco, show zero votes for Davids. On the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) results board, with 89% of voting districts counted, the DA was leading at Savio Hall with 1,434 votes, or 53.89%, ahead of Al Jama-ah with 467 votes (17.55%), GOOD with 278 votes (10.45%) and the ANC with 7.67%, according to IOL.
The Truth and Solidarity Movement (TRUTH) has called for a recount across Western Cape. Its leader Mehmet Vefa Dag also lodged a formal objection with provincial and national IEC officials, while Marais is asking the commission to compare the ballots issued with those placed in the ballot boxes and to preserve the electoral documents linked to the polling station. The case comes as the IEC aims for the end of the vote count this weekend, according to a report published on 5 November.
