• Videos of boxes of ballot papers circulated on social media at the weekend purporting to be evidence of vote rigging.
• The IEC has refuted this stating that these were ballots being prepared for distribution for Special Votes.
• The Commission has said it will ramp up security at its facilities ahead of the elections this week.

Thus far the South African 2024 elections have been tumultuous. To kick things off, candidate lists from the ANC and MK Party were leaked by an IEC official who was dismissed quickly. This weekend saw things amp up significantly.

On Saturday videos featuring boxes of ballot papers began circulating on social media. The boxes are seemingly sealed and according to the IEC “relate to activities at Commission’s storage sites in Chesterville and Hammersdale” in KwaZulu-Natal. The IEC further states that the videos are being circulated by supporters of the MK Party who are using the videos to allege vote rigging.

The Commission states that there is nothing to these videos as they merely showcase its planned logistical arrangements and storage of election materials. This was in preparation for the first of Special Voting today.

“The planned security measures were that the trucks distributing ballot papers are escorted by SAPS to the local storage site. These storage sites will then be guarded on a 24-hours basis. This arrangement would ensure that the storage sites are protected against unauthorised entry, burglary, and tempering with election materials and ensure detailed control and recording of all items in storage,” the IEC explains.

However, in the next sentence, the IEC notes that the persons who filmed the video “entered the warehouse without authorisation and filmed their unauthorised activities”. Furthermore, the MK Party is currently at the IEC’s provincial warehouse where the ballots which were filmed were brought.

“No party will be allowed to gain entry into the warehouse premises of the Commission. We instruct the leadership of MK party to immediately leave the warehouse as the Commission urgently needs to finalise the distribution of election material,” the IEC said.

That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in how secure these facilities are. The IEC says it’s implementing additional security measures at storage facilities and we hope that these videos are the extent of the intrusions.

Also at the weekend, a presiding officer was reportedly woken at home at night over the storage of bulk materials at a voting station in Chesterville. These materials include voting booths, voting station signage and new ballot boxes. The materials have since been relocated to Cato Manor police station.

“It is part of the logistical plan for the Commission to deliver bulk material to voting stations ahead of election day. This is meant to ensure that voting stations open on time as only security material such as ballot papers will be delivered on the day of voting. The Commission strongly condemns threats to its staff. No party, nor its representatives, have the authority to gain access to private homes of electoral staff. Worse still, no party, nor its representatives, may take control of election material without being authorised to do so,” the IEC said.

“The Commission is contemplating measures against the party and individuals involved as such obstruction to election activities should not be tolerated. This conduct violates the Electoral Code of Conduct and other electoral prescripts,” the Commission added.

There are 27.7 million registered voters in 2024 and many have likened these elections to those in 1994.

This because of years of looting, corruption and malfeasance at the hands of the ruling party. A year of intense loadshedding has further sown disdain for the current administration and many South Africans are hoping to use their vote to effect a change in leadership,

South Africans can vote from 07:00 to 21:00 on 29th May which is a public holiday. Be sure to head to the voting station you are registered at, it is the only way to cast your vote. Remember you also need to present your ID when voting, a driver’s license does not count.