Simone Nare
Scanning machines became a source of frustrations for both voters and presiding officers in some voting stations on the first day of voting on Wednesday leading the EFF to issue a statement raising concerns about what the party perceives as an ANC ploy to extend the elections by another day.
Inside Politics spoke to two officials at different polling stations who were complaining about the failure of what they called the “VDM” or ID scanning machines to work.
The officials blamed the “network” for the slowness of the scanning machines which forced both of them to keep moving outside the stations to try and get better reception.
However, the Independent Electoral Commission deputy chief electoral officer Masego Shiburi was quick to allay these fears, saying in the event that the scanning machines were not working, the voters’ roll can be accessed manually.
But EFF leader Julius Malema has seized on the opportunity saying the failure of the scanning machines would provide fertile ground for the rigging of elections and claimed that the ANC was running scared and bent on extending the elections by another day.
“The EFF notes, with urgent concern, the failure of IEC voters’ roll machines in several voting stations across the country.
“This has led to the resolution by the organisation to use the physical voters roll, which is gravely worrying as it takes time as well as compromises the accuracy of the voting system,” the party said in a statement.
The party said physical verification was stunting the process and many people were losing patients and leaving without casting their votes.
“This is endangering our democratic process. The EFF hopes there is a genuine glitch in the system and this is not a ploy by the IEC for an unplanned second day of voting and having ballots sleep over in the homes of presiding officers,” it claimed.
The EFF called for urgent action to remedy the situation to avoid compromising the credibility of the elections.
“Furthermore, we call on all Fighters and supporters of the EFF to exercise patience in this regard, and to remember that the opportunity to install competent leadership will be worth the wait,” it said.
Other glitches reported on the first day of voting included around 20 voting stations at Ethekwini in KwaZulu-Natal opening two hours late.
In the Eastern Cape there was an area where service delivery protests have flared resulting in people boycotting the elections.
However, Shiburi said the commission has sent its staff members into the area to allow those wishing to vote to cast their votes.
In the North West, some voters in the Klerksdorp area were frustrated after their names didn’t appear on the voter’s roll.
Shiburi said the commission would need more information to be able to respond to the allegations but despite the glitches, the IEC was happy with the election process so far adding that the incidents experienced at the start of voting were regrettable but they would not affect the credibility of the elections.
He conceded that the opening was not as smooth as hoped but said “we could do better.’
The IEC said all voters in the queue by closing time will still be allowed to vote, even if the queue extends beyond the voting station boundary.
“Voting stations are now closed, however onsite security services will ensure that all voting and counting processes have been concluded safely,” the agency said.
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