Johannesburg - Politically motivated violence, intimidation and claims of a hit-and-run incident marred the last voter registration weekend before the May 7 elections.
Leading ANC and opposition politicians – including ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa and secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, and Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema – visited several areas across the country as they scrambled for votes.
This occurred as ANC and DA supporters assaulted each other at a registration station in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.
Ramaphosa was in Mohlakeng, Mantashe in Ga-Rankuwa and Malema in Alexandra.
In Khayelitsha, DA councillor Vuyokazi Matanzima said ANC supporters manhandled her after accusing her of interfering with the voter registration processes.
She had entered a voting station to ensure a party agent registered without having to queue, as provided for by the rules.
“This was when one ANC woman asked what I want at the station.” She added that the same woman and others closed the gate and tried to prevent her from leaving.
“I told them to carry on barking, and on my way out they started to attack me by punching and kicking me.”
Police spokesman Andre Traut confirmed the incident.
“Both suspects were warned to make a court appearance in Khayelitsha on February 11 to face a charge of assault.”
Mantashe and others had to negotiate their way to a voting station in Ga-Rankuwa past obstacles on the road, the result of a violent service delivery protest.
Accompanied by North West Premier Thandi Modise, Deputy Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene and Madibeng mayor Tshidi Mangoathe, Mantashe met community and church leaders.
“Oh, is that what happened?” he said in reference to the protest.
In Alexandra, Malema told supporters that the EFF was the credible, black-led alternative they had been yearning for.
“The first decision I would make as president would be the redistribution of land back to the people,” he said.
“And the land would be to produce food and create jobs.”
DA leader Helen Zille had to cancel her electioneering campaign in Manenberg, Cape Town, due to safety concerns.
In Khayelitsha, politicians were upbeat on Sunday about voters registering despite earlier unrest.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker and ANC NEC member Nomaindia Mfeketo kissed DA MP Masizole Mnqasela, saying there was no bad blood between the two parties.
Mfeketo said a meeting with Mnqasela and Western Cape Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela was aimed at resolving “conflict between ANC volunteers and the DA”.
“With the leadership of the DA we stressed the importance of tolerance. We fought for this freedom, we fought for all parties to participate (in the elections),” Mfeketo said, and added: “We need to emphasise to members not to provoke and not to allow yourself to be provoked.”
Mnqasela said they had “resolved the political pandemonium” they had seen earlier between the two parties.
“It is encouraging that the leadership, locally and nationally, was here and said ‘let us make sure this didn’t happen again’. We wish this would become the spirit of the elections.”
Both parties agreed their volunteers would refrain from singing in front of registration stations and would not provoke opposing parties.
In Taung, North West, seven people were arrested for damaging election material at a registration station, police said on Sunday.
Three women and four men – aged between 20 and 23 – allegedly forced their way into a voter registration station at Itlameng Primary School on Saturday, damaging election material, said Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone.
The group allegedly demanded registration material from IEC officials. They reportedly removed IEC banners from the school fence and set them alight before fleeing.
The Star