By-election results withheld after IFP accuses ANC of bringing in voters from other wards

The Electoral Commission (IEC) in KwaZulu-Natal has withheld the results of a by-election in Mthonjaneni municipality ward 5 after claims that outside voters were brought in by the ANC.

This comes after the IFP lodged a complaint with the IEC, accusing the ANC of transporting people from outside the ward to vote in its favour.

IFP KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Thami Ntuli said he received a call from a taxi owner in Esikhawini, Richards Bay, who told him they had been hired by the ANC to transport people to vote in Mthonjaneni.

Ntuli alleged fraudulent voters were brought in but IFP members were able to nab them at the gate after they failed to verify the area in which they live.

“We caught them after they had voted. We took them to the police station and lodged a complaint with the IEC. There are about 15 people who voted. The people were wearing ANC T-shirts and confirmed to our members they were asked by the party to come and vote in the area,” he said.

“This is against democracy. Even if the IFP wins the ward, we will not withdraw the charges because we want to make an example that this will not be tolerated.”

ANC provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele dismissed the allegation and said the IFP had fabricated the claims to “seek sympathy from people”.

“I can assure you the IFP is making this up. We cannot worry ourselves with such allegations as we know these are lies. They don’t have proof. If the party believes they have a case, they must come with proof,” said Mndebele.

Provincial electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said the results are being withheld pending the outcome of the police investigation and the IEC’s deliberation after the complaint on Wednesday.

“The police are investigating that 15 voters had fraudulently registered using addresses in ward 5 while they do not reside in the ward. A further allegation was that they voted in the by-election,” she said.

Under the ANC the ward has been without a councillor after the resignation of Mike Khuzwayo a few months ago.

The municipality is run by the IFP through a coalition, with the ANC hoping to take over, with the help of other political parties, should it win the contested ward.

Masinga said they expect to receive reports from the police and internal commission on Wednesday.

“The voter management device we use to record voters when they come to the voting station provides useful voter participating data which reflects all voters who would have voted at a voting station. Upon the processing of the reports, the commission will be able to make an informed decision on the legitimacy of the by-election,” she said.

The ward was recently visited by former president Jacob Zuma, who spoke to residents and encouraged them to vote for the ANC.

TimesLIVE