ATM cries foul in ward 21 election
The African Transformation Movement has lodged a dispute with the electoral commission over a by-election in Ngqeleni’s ward 21 last week.
The ANC retained the ward in a landslide victory. The ATM came second, beating the UDM and EFF on territory that is home to ATM founder Apostle Caesar Nongqunda.
It drummed up 30.29% of the votes.
Grievances lodged with the IEC include an allegation that some people voted twice and over 130 voters from ward 30 were transported to vote in ward 21.
ATM national spokesperson Mandisa Mashiya at the weekend said the party was unhappy with a number of discrepancies and occurrences on the day of the poll.
“Being a party that is formed on the values of peace, ubuntu, transformation, servant leadership and accountability, we owe it to South Africa to stand firm against an unjust and corrupt system, seeing that we are facing the general elections on May 8,” Mashiya said.
She said that there were voters at the Eluxolweni voting station who voted more than once after collecting identity documents from an ANC table outside the station.
“These voters all returned the identity documents to a bag after voting. Some of these incidents were reported to the presiding officer,” she said.
At the Upper Matanzima voting station, she added, ATM party agents had been removed and prevented from entering the voting venue for almost an hour.
Other complaints include:
The voters’ roll contained names of deceased voters;
An ATM member was assaulted by ANC activists; and
A box containing marked ballot papers was discovered at the Eluxolweni voting station, leading to the removal of the implicated presiding officer.
“We express our gratitude and joy over members and supporters of the African Transformation Movement coming out to vote for a leader of their choice and applaud their efforts in restoration and transformation of the current status quo and political landscape in South Africa,” Mashiya said.
Contacted for comment, ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said the parties should allow the IEC to adjudicate the dispute in terms of its processes.
“We can assure you that the ANC would work flat out to defend the will of people. No amount of appeal and litigations will change the will and the choice of ward 21.
“Democracy is about choices – not courts, arbitrations and appeals,” he said.
The IEC was unable to confirm the complaint on Sunday. Provincial spokesperson Phumla Mohale said: “People are not in the office. We will try and respond as early as possible tomorrow [Monday].”
siphem@dispatch.co.za..
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