DURBAN - SECURITY has been beefed up at 128 voting stations across KwaZulu-Natal which are considered high risk ahead of today’s local government elections.
Police Minister Bheki Cele told the media outside of a voting station in Camperdown yesterday that while the numbers of voting stations considered high risk were fluctuating, the number of such stations in KZN had grown to 128 by yesterday afternoon.
He said there would be about six police officers deployed at each station which was identified as high risk. He said there would also be roving teams of close to 150 police officers that will drive around, monitoring the stations.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) in the province said despite challenges in uMdoni (Mzinto) municipality on the South Coast and in Mkhambathini (Camperdown), most stations opened on time yesterday.
“The majority of voting stations were opened on time. The Mkhambathini Municipality matter reported yesterday (Saturday) that seven voting stations did not open due to a traditional leadership dispute in KwaNyavu Traditional Authority area, covering ward 2, 3 and 5. The commission reported that the voting stations are operating today under close monitoring by the SAPS. SAPS have reinforced their presence in the area and operations in voting stations have resumed,” the commission said.
The commission said due to unrest in the volatile uMdoni Municipality, some voting stations were not opened.
“The situation in uMdoni Municipality, where the commission reported that two of the five voting stations in ward 6 did not open at all because of community unrest in the area, these remain closed as SAPS attempts to restore stability in the area. A total of 36 home visits are yet to be administered in the area. The most affected voting station is Isulabasha Combined Primary School in ward 6. The commission remains hopeful that voting station officers will be able to visit all homes that need to be visited to conduct special votes. Voting station staff who have completed their assigned special votes are being redirected in areas with pending home visits.”
Cele said more than 18 000 police officers had been deployed across the province, with the focus on hot spot areas such as eThekwini, Nongoma, Ulundi, KwaDukuza (Stanger) and Newcastle.
Cele said out of the 272 identified hot spots in the country, the majority were in KZN, hence the special focus.
In Umzinto, police had been deployed there following clashes in the community, the community is not in favour of the candidate that is standing as the ward councillor.
In Camperdown, workers from the IEC were unable to service those who had been granted special votes on Saturday
after their polling stations were locked by the community.
The community is angry that their Inkosi, Skhosiphi Mdluli, of the KwaNyavu Traditional Authority, was removed from the position by the provincial government on allegations of misconduct, a charge he pleaded ignorance of yesterday. There is a real threat that the community might not vote and residents approached by The Mercury declined to speak stating that the tensions were very high.
The gates to the voting stations in the area had been padlocked with new locks. There was also a note with threats against those who will attempt to vote that was hung on the gates.
The threats are so serious, the IEC has been forced to change the staff in the area.
“The IEC has been forced to replace its staff members from the area with others from other areas, the workers were fearful that even after the elections, after people have voted, they could still be targeted,” said Cele.
Mdluli said his community was unhappy about him being removed from his position. He said members of his council including his family members that had the power to choose an Inkosi had tried to engage with the government to address the issue. He called for peace in the area.
KZN House of Traditional Leaders chairperson inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza has called on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Sipho Hlomuka to intervene in the dispute.
Chiliza said it was concerning that a dispute over who should be an inkosi spilled over and affected locals and disrupted the voting process.
“While we are not fully aware of the nature of the dispute, as the house of traditional leaders we are quite concerned and we believe that such a matter should be handled with care and we believe that MEC Hlomuka should play a leading role here,” said Chiliza.
The MEC acknowledged that the matter was a source of concern. “This is a family matter that should be resolved by the Mdluli royal household. It is quite a concern when members of the public get drawn into this and are unable to exercise their democratic right to vote,” said Hlomuka. He added that the department was willing to offer assistance if the family called for it.
THE MERCURY