Die geloofwaardigheid van die verkiesingsproses in Barrydale word bevraagteken nadat verskeie inwoners beweerde onreëlmatighede tydens die spesiale stemproses by News62 aangemeld het.
Die voorvalle kan moontlik daartoe lei dat die uitslag in Wyk 2 formeel betwis word.
Een inwoner het aan News62 vertel dat hy nooit vir spesiale stemming geregistreer het nie, maar nietemin ‘n SMS ontvang het wat bevestig dat hy daarvoor geregistreer is.
Die was nie ‘n geisoleerde aanmenlding nie. Talle inwoners het via WhatsApp en ander sosiale media platforms met ons in verbending getree.
Die man beweer dat ‘n politieke verteenwoordiger maande tevore ‘n lys van inwoners saamgestel het, waarna hy later ontdek het dat sy besonderhede vir spesiale stemming gebruik is.
“Ek het verduidelik dat ek altyd net op die gewone verkiesingsdag stem, maar duidelik was daardie lys met my naam en selfoonnommer vir spesiale stemming gebruik,” het hy gesê.
Nadat hy die OVK per e-pos genader het, is hy meegedeel dat hy steeds op die gewone verkiesingsdag mag stem.
Sy kommer het egter toegeneem toe hy wel spesiaal gaan stem het.
“Al die stembriewe is in een koevert met my naam en ander nommers daarop geplaas en in een stembus gegooi.”
Die inwoner sê hy het later verneem dat ander kiesers se ervaring anders was. Volgens hom was daar gevalle waar koeverte nie name bevat het nie, meer as een stembus gebruik is en ‘n persoon wat reeds spesiaal gestem het se naam steeds op die kieserslys verskyn het sonder dat dit gemerk of deurgehaal is.
Hierdie teenstrydige weergawes laat ernstige vrae ontstaan oor die konsekwentheid van die prosedures en die beskerming van die geheimhouding van stemme.
News62 het intussen verneem dat minstens twee politieke partye besware oor die verkiesingsproses oorweeg.
Hoewel die beweerde onreëlmatighede nog nie onafhanklik bevestig is nie, kan die aard en omvang daarvan moontlik tot ‘n formele betwisting van die Wyk 2-uitslag lei.
News62 het die Onafhanklike Verkiesingskommissie (OVK) om dringende kommentaar gevra oor die registrasie van spesiale kiesers, die gebruik van persoonlike besonderhede op koeverte, die hantering van stembriewe en die teenstrydighede wat deur inwoners aangemeld is.
Inwoners behoort nie met onsekerheid oor die geldigheid of geheimhouding van hul stemme gelaat te word nie.
Die betrokke politieke partye het nou ‘n beperkte tyd om hul besware formeel by die OVK in te dien. Ingevolge artikel 65 van die Wet op Munisipale Verkiesings moet ‘n beswaar teen die uitslag teen nie later nie as 17:00 op die tweede dag ná stemdag ingedien word.
Met ernstige vrae wat steeds oor die spesiale stemproses in Barrydale bestaan, kan die komende dae deurslaggewend wees vir die finale uitslag in Wyk 2.
‘n Verkiesing is slegs geloofwaardig as kiesers kan vertrou dat hul stem vry, geheim en volgens die reëls uitgebring is.
Unexplained special vote registrations, names and ID numbers on envelopes, and conflicting procedures raise serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process.
The credibility of the electoral process in Barrydale is being questioned after several residents reported alleged irregularities during the special voting process.
The incidents could potentially lead to the Ward 2 election result being formally contested.
One resident told News62 that he had never registered for a special vote, yet received an SMS confirming that she had been registered.
Several others have since contacted News62 via WhatsApp and other social media platforms, complaining about the same situation.
The man alleges that a political representative had compiled a list of residents months earlier, only for him to discover later that her details had been used for special vote registration.
“I explained that I always vote on the ordinary election day, but it was clear that the list containing my name and cellphone number had been used for special voting,” she said.
After contacting the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) by email, he was informed that she could still vote on the ordinary election day.
However, as his concerns grew, he proceeded to cast his special vote.
“All the ballot papers were placed in one envelope bearing my name and other numbers and then deposited into a single ballot box.”
The resident said he later learnt that other voters had experienced a different process. According to him, there were instances where envelopes did not contain names, more than one ballot box was used and the name of a person who had already cast a special vote still appeared on the voters’ roll without being marked or crossed out.
These conflicting accounts raise serious questions about the consistency of the procedures followed and the protection of ballot secrecy.
News62 understands that at least two political parties are considering objections relating to the electoral process.
Although the alleged irregularities have not yet been independently verified, their nature and extent could potentially lead to a formal challenge to the Ward 2 election result.
News62 has requested urgent comment from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) regarding the registration of special voters, the use of personal information on envelopes, the handling of ballot papers and the inconsistencies reported by residents.
Residents should not be left uncertain about the validity or secrecy of their votes.
An election is only credible if voters can trust that their votes are cast freely, secretly and in accordance with the rules.
The political parties concerned now have a limited window in which to formally submit their objections to the IEC. In terms of Section 65 of the Municipal Electoral Act, objections to an election result must be lodged no later than 17:00 on the second day after voting day.
With serious questions still surrounding the special voting process in Barrydale, the coming days could prove decisive in determining the final outcome in Ward 2.
