South Africa’s electoral commission tightens ballot security
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Maverick
South Africa’s electoral commission has tightened security at ballot storage sites in KwaZulu-Natal after election-related intrusions and disruptions. In Durban, its provincial head, Ntombifuthi Masinga, called for police support across the province, Daily Maverick reports.
South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission, the IEC, has called for tighter security at all ballot storage sites in KwaZulu-Natal, just hours before the municipal elections. The request follows several incidents targeting the facilities, the IEC’s provincial electoral officer, Ntombifuthi Masinga, said on Tuesday 3 November, according to Daily Maverick.
The most serious incident occurred on Monday evening at the satellite warehouse at Dassenhoek library in Marianhill, west of Durban. People wearing clothing in the colours of a political party entered the site and asked for the ballot boxes containing special-voting ballots to be moved, claiming that the building had already been burgled. The site serves 24 polling stations and the intervention disrupted operations at two of them.
Similar attempts were reported in Richmond, Mkhambathini and Pietermaritzburg, but police prevented those involved from entering. IEC director-general Sy Mamabolo said the participants in the Marianhill incident were described as suspected members of the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party and that election officials had been held before police intervened. The MK disputed their membership of the party and condemned the incident.
The request for reinforcements comes a day after the theft of three ballot boxes from a special voting station in KwaZulu-Natal. The IEC had already classified 33 polling stations as high-risk in the province, according to information published before the election.
