IEC
The Independent Electoral Commission says a presiding officer in the eThekwini Metro has been arrested for allegedly stuffing marked ballots into a ballot box.
The IEC says the incident did not affect voting.
The Electoral Commission says this was testament to the built-in safeguards in the voting process, which also include an active role for party and independent candidate agents.
They said the matter was now with the police.
Earlier on Monday a journalist and his cameraman from Newsroom Afrika were also arrested for allegedly interfering with the work of the providing officer at a voting station in Orlando East in Soweto.
Police Spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidu said it was an unfortunate situation that resulted in the confrontation.
(Screenshot from Newzroom Afrika of journalist Ziniko ka Mhlaba who was arrested with his cameraman)
He said the matter has been escalated to the Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng who ordered both the release of the journalist and an investigation into this matter.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of the country’s 23 148 voting stations opened on time at 7 am and voting is flowing smoothly in the country’s 2021 Municipal Elections.
Delays in voting were reported in less than one per cent of voting stations due to a variety of circumstances including tents being blown over by high winds overnight and the late arrival of election staff and voting materials in a few voting stations.
A weather warning of strong winds was also issued in the Eastern Cape for the Sarah Baartman Municipality and the Chris Hani and Joe Gqabi District Municipalities.
Voting will continue throughout the day until 21:00 tonight when voting stations close.
Voters who are at the voting station or in a queue at 21:00 will be allowed to vote.
