STAFF REPORTER
THE Independent Electoral Commission has distanced itself from allegations doing the rounds on social media that it has received money to rig elections at the ANC’s 55th national conference in favour President Cyril Ramaphosa.
This comes after a WhatsApp screengrab which claims that Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo issued instructions to the commission staff to ensure that the outcome of the ANC’s elective conference favoured Ramaphosa.
The electoral commission said that it does not manage the elections of any political parties.
“The Electoral Commission notes with concern malicious content that has been disseminated on Twitter and possibly other social media platforms as part of an orchestrated disinformation campaign around its purported involvement in the recent 55th elective conference of the African National Congress,” IEC said in a statement.
“This content is designed to impugn the reputation and integrity of the Electoral Commission of South Africa and its officials. This content is clearly manufactured and has no basis in reality.”
The ANC’s internal election has been run by the private company the EleXions Agency.
The electoral commission said it was currently prioritising collaborating with the investigative arms of the state to counter such incidents of disinformation, as ultimately they undermine our democracy.
“Following a global rise in disinformation, especially via digital platforms, and its potential impact on elections, the Electoral Commission has collaborated with various digital platforms and non-governmental organisation Media Monitoring Africa to counter disinformation over the course of the last two general elections.”
“The Electoral Commission unfortunately anticipates an increase in such incidents in the approach to the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.”
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