THE troubled town of Sterkspruit, where more than 500 police officers were deployed to keep the peace, was fairly quiet yesterday as people cast their votes.
Hundreds, particularly the elderly, queued from as early as 5am despite a shutdown and claims of intimidation.
In the area of Makhetheng, about 3km outside Sterkspruit, villagers came in droves to vote.
However, the day did not go by entirely free of drama. Early in the morning an EFF member lodged an objection after finding ballot boxes already full of votes at a voting station. The matter was resolved when the Electoral Commission confirmed that the ballot papers had been counted and corresponded with the number of special votes cast on Monday and Tuesday.
Provincial electoral officer Thamsanqa Mraji confirmed the incident, saying in terms of the electoral act, the ballot box had to be taken to the voting station and the papers in it integrated with the rest.
The integration process must be done in the presence of party agents.
“Our investigation found that the presiding officer was still within the law because the ballot box is taken to the voting station. The ballot papers are still inside the two envelopes, as is the practice with special votes.”
In Bamboespruit Village, ANC members had to be moved by police as they sat on chairs outside the voting station handing out pamphlets to elderly voters.
They would call voters to their table, check their ID numbers on the voters roll and give them an ANC pamphlet with President Jacob Zuma’s face and the letter X next to his face.
When the media asked one of them why they were showing people who to vote for, she said: “It is each person’s choice to vote for whoever. We did not say they should vote for Zuma. We did not have other parties’ pamphlets so we showed them the one with face.”
In Silindini village, ANC members were seen writing particulars of voters in a book after they had voted. Alice Tsele said: “We have done this in the past, it is not the first time. We write their names in the book and keep it for safekeeping.”
Asked who had given her an instruction to write voters’ ID numbers in her book, Tsele could not say.
Some villagers the Dispatch spoke to said those who marked voters’ names on the voters roll wanted to intimidate residents who had abstained from voting.
Responding to the handing over of T-shirts and pamphlets, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said: “What is important is that people should not mobilise and campaign in the voting stations.
“Whether I wear an EFF T-shirt or an ANC T-shirt, it’s fine. People wear what they want to wear.”
She said she was happy with how peaceful election day was in Sterkspruit. — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
Elections: Sterkspruit voters turn up in numbers
Hundreds, particularly the elderly, queued from as early as 5am despite a shutdown and claims of intimidation.
In the area of Makhetheng, about 3km outside Sterkspruit, villagers came in droves to vote.
However, the day did not go by entirely free of drama. Early in the morning an EFF member lodged an objection after finding ballot boxes already full of votes at a voting station. The matter was resolved when the Electoral Commission confirmed that the ballot papers had been counted and corresponded with the number of special votes cast on Monday and Tuesday.
Provincial electoral officer Thamsanqa Mraji confirmed the incident, saying in terms of the electoral act, the ballot box had to be taken to the voting station and the papers in it integrated with the rest.
The integration process must be done in the presence of party agents.
“Our investigation found that the presiding officer was still within the law because the ballot box is taken to the voting station. The ballot papers are still inside the two envelopes, as is the practice with special votes.”
In Bamboespruit Village, ANC members had to be moved by police as they sat on chairs outside the voting station handing out pamphlets to elderly voters.
They would call voters to their table, check their ID numbers on the voters roll and give them an ANC pamphlet with President Jacob Zuma’s face and the letter X next to his face.
When the media asked one of them why they were showing people who to vote for, she said: “It is each person’s choice to vote for whoever. We did not say they should vote for Zuma. We did not have other parties’ pamphlets so we showed them the one with face.”
In Silindini village, ANC members were seen writing particulars of voters in a book after they had voted. Alice Tsele said: “We have done this in the past, it is not the first time. We write their names in the book and keep it for safekeeping.”
Asked who had given her an instruction to write voters’ ID numbers in her book, Tsele could not say.
Some villagers the Dispatch spoke to said those who marked voters’ names on the voters roll wanted to intimidate residents who had abstained from voting.
Responding to the handing over of T-shirts and pamphlets, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said: “What is important is that people should not mobilise and campaign in the voting stations.
“Whether I wear an EFF T-shirt or an ANC T-shirt, it’s fine. People wear what they want to wear.”
She said she was happy with how peaceful election day was in Sterkspruit. — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
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