Fight to scrap Inanda ward results grows

OPPOSITION parties in Inanda yesterday intensified their fight to have the results of the recent local government election in Ward 3 scrapped.

A group of residents representing the independents and the IFP protested in the main road through the township. Tempers flared and threats of intimidation abounded.

Members of the group said there was a clash with ANC supporters when the independent supporters tried to protest outside the ward councillor’s offices. They charge that there were too many irregularities during the voting process for it to have been free and fair.

“What we want now is for these elections to be nullified and a new election to be held,” said a community member who declined to be named.

A leader of the protest, who was also a party agent for the independent candidate, claimed she had already received deaths threats.

Key among the irregularities they cited was that members of the ruling party were allowed to campaign at the voting station, in contravention of IEC regulations.

“The campaigning was stopped on Sunday evening and yet some members of the ruling party continued to campaign, even on the voting day.”

The commission’s rules states that a candidate cannot be at the voting station for more than 15 minutes, but they alleged that the ANC candidate was there for more than 90 minutes while all the others had left.

The party agents and volunteers were also allowed to canvass for votes. They allegedly gave out stickers, especially to elderly people, telling them this was the person to vote for.

The source said the presence of the police at the voting station was unsettling. There were at least 19 officers inside the voting station.

She further claimed that many people had not been allowed to vote. “The law says those inside the gates of the voting station at the time of its closing should be allowed to vote.” She said police used teargas to disperse people who still wanted to vote, resulting in about 600 people being unable to cast their votes.

The voting district has about 2 600 people eligible to vote but only about 1 300 voted.

The Electoral commission of South Africa in KwaZuluNatal said it could not comment on issues around objections as they were handled nationally by commissioners. The police failed to respond to requests for comment.