Public order police members were deployed to villages in Ntabankulu and Mhlontlo at the weekend when residents stopped IEC workers from entering voting stations.
Villagers cut trees and used them to block roads so vehicles could not pass. One of the affected roads was a short-cut from the R61 to Ntabankulu.
In Mazeni village, residents shut a local school used as a voting station. Their complaint is that promises of water and electricity since 1996 have not yet materialised. They said they would not be voting.
Sylvia Ntetha, 80, said: “We were told numerous times that we would get electricity but nothing has happened. We even wrote to the Presidency.
“We fetch water from a spring in the bush and share the water with pigs.
“Residents were even willing to collect money to get electricity installed in the village but the municipality told us we were going to embarrass them.”
She said the villagers would only vote when they got electricity.
Nontuthuzelo Mndela said residents shut Mazeni Junior Secondary school where registration was supposed to take place.
“No one is registering and people are not going to vote. All they want is water and electricity,” Mndela said.
In Tonti village, trees were used to block the road.
When the Daily Dispatch arrived, residents were gathered at a local school. A police chopper hovered above.
Zodumo Gama said: “If they do not give us electricity, we shall not vote. We do not want any other political party to come here and give us empty promises, the ANC must come to us and deliver what they promised.”
Principal Zenzele Ganyaza said residents had taken him from the school.
“We have not been to class for two weeks now. Even there was a padlock put by residents so the IEC cannot access the school.”
The Dispatch was unable to access Ngqani village but an elderly woman said no one was allowed in or out without informing the leaders of the protest. A response to questions had not been received from the IEC at the time of writing yesterday.
In Mhlontlo, residents of Ward 8 boycotted registration and yesterday attempted to shut down voting stations, but police were called immediately. Ward 8 residents said the ANC had given them a ward council candidate they did not want.
IEC spokeswoman Pearl Ngoza said out of the 4656 voting stations in the province, 22 were affected by community protests and some staff had been threatened.
“Some of these voting stations did not open at all. Throughout the day, the IEC with the SAPS, community leaders, party liaison committees, municipal managers and mayors continued to deal with the issues in the problematic areas.”
In Ward 5, Amahlathi Municipality protesters burnt registration materials, including a scanner and voters’ roll.
Cops deployed as residents stop IEC from entering voting stations
Villagers cut trees and used them to block roads so vehicles could not pass. One of the affected roads was a short-cut from the R61 to Ntabankulu.
In Mazeni village, residents shut a local school used as a voting station. Their complaint is that promises of water and electricity since 1996 have not yet materialised. They said they would not be voting.
Sylvia Ntetha, 80, said: “We were told numerous times that we would get electricity but nothing has happened. We even wrote to the Presidency.
“We fetch water from a spring in the bush and share the water with pigs.
“Residents were even willing to collect money to get electricity installed in the village but the municipality told us we were going to embarrass them.”
She said the villagers would only vote when they got electricity.
Nontuthuzelo Mndela said residents shut Mazeni Junior Secondary school where registration was supposed to take place.
“No one is registering and people are not going to vote. All they want is water and electricity,” Mndela said.
In Tonti village, trees were used to block the road.
When the Daily Dispatch arrived, residents were gathered at a local school. A police chopper hovered above.
Zodumo Gama said: “If they do not give us electricity, we shall not vote. We do not want any other political party to come here and give us empty promises, the ANC must come to us and deliver what they promised.”
Principal Zenzele Ganyaza said residents had taken him from the school.
“We have not been to class for two weeks now. Even there was a padlock put by residents so the IEC cannot access the school.”
The Dispatch was unable to access Ngqani village but an elderly woman said no one was allowed in or out without informing the leaders of the protest. A response to questions had not been received from the IEC at the time of writing yesterday.
In Mhlontlo, residents of Ward 8 boycotted registration and yesterday attempted to shut down voting stations, but police were called immediately. Ward 8 residents said the ANC had given them a ward council candidate they did not want.
IEC spokeswoman Pearl Ngoza said out of the 4656 voting stations in the province, 22 were affected by community protests and some staff had been threatened.
“Some of these voting stations did not open at all. Throughout the day, the IEC with the SAPS, community leaders, party liaison committees, municipal managers and mayors continued to deal with the issues in the problematic areas.”
In Ward 5, Amahlathi Municipality protesters burnt registration materials, including a scanner and voters’ roll.
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