Political parties stand guard amid fears of ballot box tempering
Political parties registered concerns about security alleging that ballot boxes might be compromised
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, has confirmed that some political parties are guarding the storage facility where ballot boxes are kept. This move comes after concerns were raised about potential security threats, with parties alleging that ballots could be tampered with within the storage facilities.
Fhumalini Thovhagale, the IEC Municipal Electoral Officer in Bushbuckridge, stated that the parties contesting in the Bushbuckridge Municipality have expressed a lack of trust in the process. They have requested to guard the ballots, and the IEC has allowed them to do so, provided they do not enter the warehouse area where the ballot boxes are stored.
Thovhagale confirmed that the municipality uses two storage facilities, one on the Thulamahashe side and another on the Mkhuhlu side, and that the parties have the right to be present at these facilities as long as they remain outside the sealed warehouse area.
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