IEC reports strong voter turnout despite glitches

CAPE TOWN - Over 3.5 million people voted in the municipal election by midday on Monday, the IEC said.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa reported that over 99% of the 23 148 voting stations opened on time.

“The commission commends South Africans for coming out, as they continue to, in huge numbers to vote.

“Many voting stations have reported strong turnout from early in the day, with many voters already waiting to vote before the 7am opening.

“We continue to urge registered voters to make their way to voting stations.”

There were some incidents, the IEC noted, which included:

• In KwaZulu-Natal, 20 voting stations did not open on time because of community protests. The stations were later reopened;
• A presiding officer in the eThekwini Metro in Durban was arrested after allegedly stuffing marked ballots into a ballot box;
• In the Eastern Cape, 19 voting stations did not open because of community protests. In all incidents, communities dug trenches to deny Commission staff and voters access to the voting stations. The Commission, with the assistance of municipalities, was able to fill the trenches and anticipates that the voting stations were expected to open later on Monday;
• In Limpopo, a hailstorm delayed the opening of voting stations in Giyani; and
• The arrest of a Newzroom Afrika journalist at a voting station in Soweto. After intervention of the commission the journalist has been released, and an investigation into the circumstances of his arrest will be instituted.

Voting will continue throughout the day until 9pm on Monday.

Voters who are at the voting station or in a queue at 9pm will be allowed to vote.

Cape Times