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Hundreds of voting stations in Mthatha were prevented from opening, and patients in dire need of medical care were adversely affected due to Monday's large-scale protest by taxi operators who blocked the N2 and the R61 in both directions.
By Monday afternoon, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane confirmed that he had requested President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in Mthatha to maintain order and restore calm.
According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), a total of 455 voting stations were unable to open by 09:00.
IEC Presiding Officers were initially unable to access storage sites to collect voting materials due to the roads being blocked.
Provincial Electoral Officer Kayakazi Magudumana said by midday, and with the assistance of the South African Police Services (SAPS), certain roads were cleared and the casting of the special votes could continue in places.
An IEC update provided after 13:00 on Monday stated that only 108 of the 455 voting stations affected remained closed.
The large majority were in Port St. Johns, where a total of 81 out of the 135 voting stations remained unoperational.
Community protests had also led to an IEC officer being stabbed.
The @ANCECape strongly condemn the blockage of entry points in Mthatha and the intimidation of people who were about to board a plane at Mthatha Airport. ANC says it is an act of sabotage. Five arrests have already been made pic.twitter.com/t0iWhVdnd1
— AlgoaFMNews (@AlgoaFMNews) May 27, 2024
Eastern Cape Health Department spokesman, Mkhululi Ndamase said patients in desperate need of a higher level of medical care were prevented from getting it as ambulances could not get into Mthatha.
According to Ndamase, staff who worked the night shift at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Mthatha Regional, and St Barnabas Hospital could not get home after their shift.
Similarly, those who were on their way to the hospitals to report for the day shift could not get to work due to the blocked roads.
Hospitals were forced to operate with a skeleton staff.
"As soon as roads reopen, those who are supposed to be on duty will go to work to relieve those who worked the night shift.
"In emergency cases, the department will use aeromedical services to transfer patients," said Ndamase.
Also read: Arrests made as shots fired at Mthatha cops
Mthatha ground to a halt on Monday morning when disgruntled taxi operators allegedly hijacked trucks to block the N2 entry and exit points to the town.
This followed a crackdown on the industry following an upsurge in violence in an apparent breach of a recent peace pact.
