Pretoria – Voting in the 2016 Municipal elections got off to a smooth and timely start at almost all of the voting stations in the country, this morning.
“The vast majority of the country’s 22 612 voting stations reported being open on time at 7am and that voting was flowing smoothly," Independent Electoral Commission(IEC) Chairperson Glen Mashinini told a media briefing on Wednesday.
“The Electoral Commission is also very pleased to report that the situation was reported as calm and voting was underway in areas identified as potential hotspots in the run-up to the elections, including in Vuwani, Limpopo, Emfuleni and Midvaal in Gauteng and Umzimkhulu in Kwa-Zulu Natal,” Mashinini said.
Only a few wards in the Eastern Cape were affected by unrest and protests. They include some voting districts in Ward 16 in Ntabankulu and some voting districts in Ward 8 in Amathole.
“Delays to voting were reported in a small percentage of voting stations due to a variety of circumstances including tents being blown over by high winds overnight in the Free State (Qwa-qwa) and Nelson Mandela Bay metro in the Eastern Cape and the late arrival of election staff and voting materials in a few voting stations,” he said.
The Electoral Commission did receive some reports of isolated cases where voters had been stopped from entering voting stations by election staff because they were wearing political party clothing and regalia.
Mashinini said wearing of such clothing by voters is not prohibited.
It is only prohibited for party agents and candidates to wear party clothing inside a voting a station.
Voter dies
Meanwhile, a voter has died at a voting station in Strydenburg in the Northern Cape.
The voter is believed to have died from natural causes.
Mashinini said police were on the scene and dealt with the incident.
“Four motor vehicle accidents involving election staff were reported early today but no-one was seriously injured in any of the incidents,” he added.
Voting will continue throughout the day until 7pm when voting stations close. Voters who are at the voting station or in a queue at 7pm will be allowed to vote.
Voters can check their voting station details by dialling *120*432# or sms their ID to 32810.
The contact call centre is on 0800 11 8000 and will be open until 9pm tonight to assist voters. –SAnews.gov.za
