Taiz:KwaZulu-Natal The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in KwaZulu-Natal has terminated the services of a presiding officer after she was found transporting election material in an e-hailing vehicle branded with a political party’s colors and logo. This decision was announced by Provincial Electoral Officer Ntombifuthi Masinga during a media briefing on Tuesday, 3 November, as part of an update on the second day of special voting ahead of the Local Government Elections.
According to South African Government News Agency, an investigation revealed that the vehicle belonged to the presiding officer and was being driven by her son when she was seen boarding it with election materials. As a result, the Commission decided to terminate her services on the grounds of using a politically branded vehicle for transporting election material.
In addition to the termination, the Commission reported that 133,931 of the 362,878 approved special votes in KwaZulu-Natal had been cast, representing 37% of the total. Of the 151,429 approved home visit applications, 68,114 (45%) had been administered, while 65,817 of the 211,449 approved voting station visit applications had been processed, representing 31%. Women accounted for a significant portion of these special votes, casting 96,639 (72.15%), while 37,264 (27.83%) were cast by men.
The IEC also highlighted incidents where political party supporters attempted to gain unauthorized access to election material storage facilities or deploy private security guards at certain sites. Particularly, at the Dassenhoek Library, supporters forced entry into a satellite storage facility precinct. The South African Police Service’s Public Order Policing Unit intervened, ensuring that no election material was tampered with. Similar incidents occurred in Richmond, uMkhambathini, and Pietermaritzburg, where police restored order.
Masinga emphasized the importance of adhering to the Electoral Code of Conduct, noting the regrettable nature of these transgressions. The IEC also addressed access challenges at some voting stations due to rainy weather, ensuring stations opened on time. Voters were urged to monitor weather conditions and take precautions.
The final day of special voting concluded today at 5 pm, with the Commission confirming readiness for Election Day on Wednesday, 4 November. Voting stations will operate from 7 am to 9 pm, requiring voters to be registered and present valid identification. The IEC also reminded voters to cast ballots at their registered stations.
