MK Party leader Jacob Zuma addressing the media at The Roc in Midrand
MK Party leader Jacob Zuma has warned the IEC not to release the results of the 2024 general elections until a Commission of Enquiry is conducted to look into alleged irregularities that took place at various voting stations across the country and also at the IEC’s Results Operations Centre (ROC).
At an impromptu media conference held at the ROC, Zuma made it clear that the declaration of the election results would be tantamount to a provocation to members of his MK Party.
It has emerged that Zuma’s MK Party is not the only one that has filed objections with the IEC and that 25 other political parties which took part in the elections have also done likewise.
The MK objections include allegations like crashes and failure of the IEC results board, website, elections results app and mobile app for two hours.
“When the aforesaid crashed systems resumed working, results from across provinces remained stagnant and didn’t correlate with what had been tallied on the ground by our party agents and observers,” said MKYL Head of Communications and Media Nkateko Mkhabela in a statement submitted to Tshwane Talks on Saturday.
“Many of our voters were turned away from voting districts as they were not registered at a particular voting district and deprived of the right to vote for a party of their choice,” she said.
“MKYL vehemently declares that these results are a betrayal of the true voice of South Africans,” she said.
Zuma told the media that due to the aforesaid allegations made by the MKYL, regarding apparent vote-rigging, he was calling for a Commission of Enquiry.
“There are many serious things which are happening in this country and there is a tendency to ignore them,” he said.
“There are people who get arrested even when they have done nothing but there are people who commit serious crimes and nothing happens to them,” he said.
“Even judges would say there’s nothing wrong with these acts of wrongdoing, therefore we can’t say we have a democracy that we fought for,” said Zuma.
“Nobody must declare the results of the elections on Sunday as they are not correct,” warned Zuma.
He emphatically stated that two officials hired as service providers by the IIEC were arrested in relation to system crashes at the IECs the ROC, but his allegations were refuted by the IEC at a media conference held after the one he (Zuma) had addressed.
The IEC conference was scheduled for 20h30 on Saturday evening, but had to be delayed as Zuma had unexpectedly called his own media conference at that time.
At its media conference, IEC Chief Executive Officer Sy Mamabolo said the electoral body knew nothing about two service providers who had been arrested for wrong-doing at the ROC and stated that the IEC had even ascertained this allegation with the police and there was no such.
On the issue of the credibility of election results, IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya revealed that a renowned firm of auditors has been hired to ensure credibility of the results.
He emphasised that the election results will be announced on Sunday at 6pm as scheduled and that this was as per the IECs mandate to perform its duties without fear or favour.
When asked whether the IEC felt under siege as 26 parties had filed objections regarding its performance, Moepya said such a situation comes with the terrain.
But he stressed that the IEC was not undermining any objections lodged by aggrieved political parties and will resolve all objections before the announcement of the results on Sunday.
Moepya admitted that recounting of ballot papers will take place at 20 voting stations in Gauteng, 1 in Limpopo and 3 in Northwest Province.
He stressed that despite all the objections and recounts that are looming, there are no factors which would compel the IEC from delaying the announcement of the results on Sunday evening.
“At the moment there are no outstanding issues which would have an impact on the outcome of the results, and the announcement shall proceed as planned,” he said.
Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie said he was happy about the outcome of the results and stressed that he doesn’t support a recount of the vote as that may result in trickery taking place, with the ANC winning by a two-thirds majority.
BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane also expressed joy regarding the outcome of the elections, saying what was important to his party was getting seats in Parliament.