MK Party supporters hold IEC officials hostage at KwaZulu-Natal facility, Digi Mart USA News (Mariannhill, west of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa): The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has confirmed that uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party supporters attempted to force their way into an election material storage facility in Mariannhill, west of Durban, and allegedly held IEC officials hostage.
The incident happened on Monday night, 2 November, on the first day of special vote administration. During a media briefing on Tuesday, 3 November, IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the supporters attempted to storm Dassenhoek Library, where election materials are stored.
Mamabolo said public order police were called in to disperse the group, secure the officials and protect the election materials. “Fortunately, the group left peacefully after engaging with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
There were similar attempts by MK Party supporters to gain unlawful entry into IEC election material storage facilities in Richmond, uMkhambathini as well as Pietermaritzburg,” Mamabolo said.
Separately, the IEC in KwaZulu-Natal confirmed on Monday that empty ballot boxes and voting stationery were stolen during a break-in at Amahlongwa Community Hall in Zambezi, under the Umdoni Municipality, on Sunday night. A case has been opened at Umkhomazi Police Station and the matter is under investigation.
KZN Electoral Officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said the theft would have no impact on the process because more than enough ballot boxes are always supplied to voting stations. She added that the ballot boxes leased for home visits were not affected.
