A military tent borrowed by the IEC for election purposes was stolen from a voting station at Jabula Hostel in Rustenburg.

IEC provincial officer, Tumelontle Thiba, said the incident occurred late last night. A police case has been opened, and investigations are ongoing with hopes that the perpetrators will be apprehended soon.

Despite some setbacks, Thiba reported that the special votes proceeded relatively smoothly over the past two days. He acknowledged that ten voting stations opened late for various reasons, including community protests in Taung.

“On the second day (Tuesday), all stations opened on time except in Taung at the Itumeleng Community Hall. We had to request assistance from security personnel to break a locked gate to gain access to the station.”

All voting stations opened punctually on Wednesday, including one in Kganyesa where the manager was involved in a car accident. Fortunately, the ballot papers remained intact, and the station manager sustained only minor injuries.

Thiba emphasised the IEC is making concerted efforts to ensure the election process runs smoothly. Proactive measures are in place to handle disruptions, such as the incident in Kgamothibi, where about 50 community members protested at Itumeleng Community Hall.

The IEC deployed some of its members in the area to ensure they worked in that area and supported those who were supposed to work there initially as they were scared of being targeted.

“We have Plan A, B, and C,” said Thiba. “However, we really want to appeal to communities to allow the IEC to conduct these elections in a well-planned and appropriate manner. This will ensure everyone is treated fairly, with voting stations opening on time and minimal disruptions.”

Some 43,000 people were visited in their homes to cast their special votes. “Home visits achieved a 100% turnout because we made sure to reach every single house,” Thiba said. “Even after the official closing time of 17:00, we worked until just before 20:00 to accommodate voters waiting in their homes. However, the turnout for walk-ins was not significant, with some instances reaching only 55%.”

Some of the 43,000 people who were visited were not at home because they were unaware that someone had applied for special votes on their behalf. Despite these challenges, she was pleased that the overall turnout exceeded the 50% mark during the special votes.

She encouraged all voters to cast votes as early as possible for their safety.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh