Cape Town - A voter at the Elgin Road voting station in Sybrand Park on Monday had to use video footage and photographs to convince IEC officials that he had in fact registered to vote and was eligible to cast his ballot at Monday’s election.
The incident was one of a number reported at the station and elsewhere by voters whose names were missing from the voters’ roll despite them claiming to have registered.
Al Jama-ah spokesperson advocate Shamiemah Salie made a short video in which she explained the situation and said the matter of names not reflecting on the voters’ roll was not a new one and that the party had lodged complaints with the IEC.
“On September 19, my son registered to vote at Elgin Road in Sybrand Park. Today he found his name is not on the voters’ roll. Luckily for me I have video proof as well as pictures of him having registered.
“When registration takes place in these voters’ areas, no receipts are provided. Imagine how many individuals, who don’t have proof like I had, whose names are not reflecting on the voters’ roll,” said Salie.
Another complaint came from Freedom Front Plus candidate for Ward 105 Grant Marais who said some voters at the Vierlanden voting station were so upset with malfunctioning Voting Management Devices (VDMs) that they left the long queues and went home.
Marais said that it was only after he complained to the IEC management about the issue a fresh device was ordered from elsewhere and brought to the station.
He said voters also complained that there were no toilet facilities available for the voters at the station, some of whom were in the queues for up to two hours.
During a press briefing on Monday IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo conceded there were a few technical glitches but that they were being sorted out.
Meanwhile, IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini said over 99% of the voting stations had opened on time and by 12:30pm 3.5 million voters had cast their ballots.