Cape Town – Political parties have hailed the Electoral Commission of SA’s (IEC) decision to approach the Electoral Court to postpone Wednesday’s hotly contested by-election in Ward 9 in Witzenberg.
This after the DA was allowed free access to some farms in the area, but the EFF and ANC were blocked by barricades of bakkies.
The IEC met political parties, including the EFF and the ANC, in the region after they had complained that their members were denied access to campaign on a farm belonging to agricultural investment company the DuToit Group.
Ward 9 contains more than 3000 registered voters and the seat became vacant as a result of the resignation of the councillor.
IEC spokesperson Kate Baphela said: “The Electoral Commission intends filing a notice with the court seeking condonation to exceed the legal time frame of 90 days in which by-elections must be held. The 90-day time frame expires on December 7, 2018.
The Electoral Commission decided to approach the court for a postponement to allow time to resolve the complaints and to ensure sufficient opportunity for all contestants to have reasonable access for purposes of canvassing all voters resident on farms ahead of the elections.”
She said should the Electoral Court approve the application, the IEC would advise the MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Western Cape to request the proclamation of a new date and would advise of a new date and advise all stakeholders accordingly.
The EFF had lodged a complaint with the IEC, saying their members were met with a barricade of bakkies and tractors at the gates of the Kromfontein farm owned by Dutoit Group.
This while DA officials were allowed full access to campaign on those farms with two EC voting stations on Tandfontein Bewaarskool and Kromfontein farm, which has 1 809 registered voters, making up 51% of the total for the ward.
Ward nine has 3 516 registered voters, with 4 voting stations atTandfontein BewaarSkool Hall (715); Wyde Kloof Community Hall (1 087); Kraamfontein Hall (1084); and Voorspoed Primary School (620), according to the EFF.
The party’s national spokesperson, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, said the IEC’s decision to seek postponement of these ward elections indicated its commitment to free and fair elections.
“Beyond these ward elections, it’s critical for the IEC to review all voting stations situated on private farms across the country to ensure that they are open to free and fair canvassing by all interested political parties.
"We reiterate our absolute condemnation and express deep disgust at white racist farmers who keep their farms as no-go areas in the interests of the Democratic Alliance,” he said.
Member of the ANC’s local elections task team and former Witzenberg mayor Clarence Johnson said the IEC’s decision had far-reaching national implications.
“In 2011 the IEC had reached an agreement with farming community organisations, which included voters being able to attend political rallies at public amenities for canvassing purposes by political parties.
"This agreement has not been reviewed since the political landscape in South Africa changed. I’m on the ground in Witzenberg and the feeling among several farm owners is that the Dutoit Group decision to block access could result in conflict.”
Johnson said the decision by the Electoral Court could ensure political parties had access to voters in the rural regions as they had in the urban areas.
Western Cape DA leader Bonginkosi Madikizela said: “The DA Western Cape will abide and respect the outcome taken tomorrow by the Electoral Court. As leader, I await the outcome and instruction given by the Electoral Court.”
Approached for comment, the personal assistant to Dutoit Group managing director Pieter du Toit told the Cape Times he and another executive were on a flight from South America to Cape Town.
Du Toit had previously said: “The statement is factually not correct with a number of wrong names, wrong insinuations and wrong dates. We also strongly object to the general reference to farmers being racist - specifically Dutoit Agri and this by-election.”
Agri Western Cape had not commented at the time of publication.