Durban - The ANC wants the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to come up with stringent measures to tackle the busing of people to register for elections in areas where they do not live.
The party has suggested people produce proof of address when they register to vote. Speaking at a media briefing in Durban on Thursday, provincial secretary, Sihle Zikalala, said busing of voters should be stopped.
“Our proposal in this regard is that when people register to vote they must be kept in that area.
“When one wants to change to another area, that person must provide proof of residence,” Zikalala said.
He made the comments after the four by-elections in the province on Wednesday.
The ANC and IFP won two by-elections each in the Big 5 False Bay (Hluhluwe), eMadlangeni (Utrecht), Ulundi, and uMlalazi (Eshowe) municipalities.
However, the ANC claimed that there had been busing of people in Ward 3 in The Big 5 False Bay Municipality.
Zikalala said had it not been for busing, the ANC could have won Ward 3.
Blessed Gwala, IFP national chairman, accused the ANC of sour grapes after losing the ward to his party.
“The ANC has political dizziness with the way they were knocked down,” Gwala said.
He said there had been instances where the IFP had lodged complaints against the ANC for allegedly busing people and it had always denied.
IEC provincial electoral officer Mawethu Mosery
said providing proof of address had been offered as a solution before but was problematic as some people “relied on councillors to confirm their addresses”.
Daily News