IEC officials rigging votes‚ says Mpumalanga opposition party

With the first day of local municipal elections special votes underway‚ a Mpumalanga political party has accused Independent Electoral Commission officials of misconduct.

In a memorandum sent to the IEC provincial office on Sunday‚ political party Bushbuckridge Residents Association (BRA) has accused the IEC and ANC officials of holding meetings to discuss ways to rig votes.

“We are aware that the IEC officials in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality and ANC officials held a meeting in Dwarsloop civic centre under the leadership of Mr Mhlaba‚ the municipal Electoral Officer in Bushbuckridge local municipality‚ to plan how to steal votes in the upcoming elections‚” the party said.

The party added that Mhlaba has summoned presiding officers and area managers to a place in Thulamahashe to assure them of their safety if they assisted in the “process of rigging votes“.

IEC provincial spokesperson Sibusiso Nkosi confirmed that the commission has received a memorandum from the party.

“The remainder of the allegations... is denied and unfounded and the IEC wishes to advise the association that should it have evidence to substantiate its allegations‚ [this] should have been provided to the IEC in order that a full investigation may be undertaken. In the absence of any substantiating evidence‚ the allegation is dismissed.”

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