DA challenges Tshwane results

2006-03-04 17:37

Johannesburg - The Democratic Alliance is challenging some of the ward election results in the Tshwane Metropole, citing alleged irregularities.

On Saturday, the DA said its complaints concerned two wards where voters were "allowed to cast ballots not at the station's voters' roll" and where some of the voters were not allowed to vote at those stations.

Pretoria DA leader Gert Pretorius said: "The DA was alerted to this alleged discrepancy by the fact that 863 voters cast ballots at the one station on a roll of a total of 994 voters.

"That is 87%, when the two adjacent voting stations turnout was 27% and 29%.

"The voting percentages in nearby wards in Mamelodi were similarly low."

Pretorius said the DA knew of three ballots cast at the polling station that were not entitled to have been cast there.

Pretorius said: "One of the ANC candidates made use of motor vehicles to broadcast voter support for the ANC that was audible within the school.

"The candidate did not leave the area after voting."

He said another polling station at Dunusa Sports Ground recorded a large voter turnout - without there being any evidence of such levels of voter attendance throughout the day.

Pretorius also accused the IEC of allowing "intoxicated" voters into the Lesedi voting station.

Pretorius said: "The DA asserts a free and fair election cannot be certified in these two wards.

"We ask that diplomatic embassies and legations take cognisance and that the IEC reverse the results of the two wards."

- SAPA