‘No objections to KZN presiding officers’

Published May 6, 2014

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ELECTIONS-OFFICERS

DURBAN May 6 Sapa

NO OBJECTIONS TO KZN PRESIDING OFFICERS: IEC

The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) has not received any complaints over the presiding officers appointed to KwaZulu-Natal's 4746 voting stations, the province's chief electoral officer said in Durban on Tuesday.

"No objections to any of the presiding officers have been received to date," Mawethu Mosery said after a parade of some 800

police officers to be deployed from Durban to remote polling stations.

He said political parties had been aware since August of who the presiding officers and their deputies were.

Mosery's comments follow complaints by the Inkatha Freedom Party that many of the presiding officers are members of the SA Democratic Teachers' Union.

On Monday night IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi referred to a by-election in Nongoma where the Electoral Court handed a ward back to the IFP after the National Freedom Party won it.

The IFP complained that some of the special votes cast in the by-election were not counted because the presiding officer had failed to stamp them. The NFP was initially declared the winner.

"The person that was in charge was a member of Sadtu, who failed to ensure the ballot papers were stamped," Buthelezi said.

However, Mosery said party agents needed to be vigilant at voting stations. He urged voters not to accept ballot papers that had not been stamped. Each stamp was unique to each polling station.

Addressing the police officers, Mosery urged them to be alert during the election and afterwards, during reaction to the results.

"Those reactions must not undermine the stability of our province."

He urged police to ensure there was no political activity at voting stations.

KwaZulu-Natal transport, community safety, and liaison MEC Willies Mchunu thanked police for reducing political violence in the province in the five years he had been in office.

Sapa

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