Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Nqaba Bhanga and his party agents kept a close eye on compliance at voting stations at the weekend to stop what he said were “tricks” by the ANC.
Bhanga visited 15 voting stations in Kariega and Gqeberha as special voting for the local government elections got under way.
People not able to travel to their voting station because they were physically infirm, disabled, pregnant, or could not vote there on election day could register to cast a special vote.
Bhanga said proceedings were running smoothly at most of the voting stations he visited, and that a steady stream of people who had registered to cast a special vote arrived to do so.
He said his party agents and presiding officers were out in force to ensure adherence to the rules and regulations.
“We have to watch the ANC because they can have some tricks up their sleeves.
“We monitored them like hawks,” he said.
Bhanga also said the DA had collaborated with other opposition parties that had committed to ensuring that the election process was free and fair.
“Through democracy, people must be given the opportunity to freely choose who they want to vote for.”
On Saturday morning in Veeplaas, Bhanga followed members of the Independent Electoral Commission of SA (IEC), who went in search of people who had registered to vote but did not arrive at the voting station.
He said many registered voters appeared to be registered in a different area, far from Veeplaas.
“Such situations are unacceptable, hence the close monitoring processes are taking place,” Bhanga said.
At a voting station in Motherwell, the names of some registered voters did not appear on the official lists at the voting station, but were listed with party agents at the respective voting tables.
Bhanga said the IEC needed to up its game to ensure such things did not happen.
HeraldLIVE