Electoral officials were on Wednesday investigating two incidents in the Buffalo City municipality where people manning political party tables allegedly asked residents for their names and told them they need not try to vote as their names did not appear on the voters' roll.
The provincial officer of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) Kayakazi Magudumana urged voters that may have experienced this to return to the voting station and cast their ballot.
"As matters are reported they are investigated by the Electoral Commission team at the provincial nerve centre in order to ensure the electoral process can proceed without minor queries causing unnecessary delays." Magudumana said.
She said one voting station in Ntlangano in the former Transkei had not opened out of the 4,791 stations across the Eastern Cape, due to protest action. The IEC also confirmed that one voting station in Buffalo City Metro was also not able to open.
But overall Magudumana said voting had proceeded well in the Eastern Cape.
"Although voting stations close at 21h00 we are urging voters to go and vote as soon as possible and not wait for the final few minutes.," she said.
"However, if there are any voters in the queue within the boundary of a voting station at 21h00 they will not be turned away and will be able to proceed."
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape member of the executive council for finance, economic development, environmental affairs and tourism Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane, who is also the ruling African National Congress chairperson in Eastern Cape, cast his vote at his old school, Zilimbola primary school in Deberha village outside Ngcobo.
Mabuyane was accompanied by his aunt Noluzile Gomfa.
-African News Agency (ANA),
