Poll blackouts are ‘unlikely’

THE nerve centre that will monitor the coming elections foresees a low probability of an electricity blackout disrupting the process.

Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) national spokesperson Kate Bapela said: “We’re negotiating with Eskom. We must be functional.”

She stressed that election planning started 18 months before the big day.

Bapela said should polling stations be disrupted, it would be up to IEC provincial officials to resolve problems.

Eskom’s media desk said the power utility had been involved in election planning as part of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), which deals with major national and provincial disasters.

Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesperson Musa Zondi said: “The lead department for elections is home affairs.”

Home Affairs Department spokesperson Siza Qoza said: “The department supports elections by ensuring citizens who’ve lost their identity documents can apply for temporary IDS to enable them to vote on May 8.

“Our offices will have the same operating hours as the IEC on the day. The IEC makes its own arrangements on operations and risk mitigation.”

NDMC spokesperson Legadima Leso said Eskom and the IEC had the “primary responsibility to ensure uninterrupted voting processes”.

Eskom said it could not give an assurance there would be no disruptions as many stations were in areas supplied by local authorities and unplanned interruptions did occur. |