Election re-run: ward councillor disputes poll results
Residents of Ward 32 are rolling up their sleeves to vote in the ward committee election re-run, to be held at the Boksburg Civic Centre.
The ward will be re-running the elections on Tuesday, January 31, after an objection to the January 10 ward committee elections results was raised by ward councillor Marius de Vos.
De Vos argued that the elections had been improperly handled by the presiding officers.
He lodged an objection with the municipality regarding the results of ward 32 on Thursday, January 12, and subsequently requested a re-run of the elections in that ward.
The votes early this month were broadly won by people who are reportedly affiliated to the ruling party’s Branch Executive Committee, knocking out apolitical and candidates affiliated to opposition parties.
The ward councillor challenged the result, which was then annulled due to irregularities in the voting process.
De Vos also made several allegations against the presiding officers and some community leaders who were at the event.
He alleged that candidates were not vetted prior the meeting despite his insistence to the ward coordinator that it should be done.
Candidates were apparently only vetted the following day, after an objection was submitted by one of the candidates.
It is also alleged that eligible voters and candidates were allowed to take part in the elections. They were apparently transported in from other constituencies.
“The outcome of eight rounds of sector contestation did not tally with the number of people who signed the attendance register, and I have brought this anomaly after the first round under the attention of the presiding officer and his officials,” said De Vos.
“One of the officials has checked the attendance registers and came to the same conclusion.
“I then indicated to the presiding officers that I am objecting to this anomaly, but they told me to file an objection after the meeting instead.
“The outcome, as I already stated, was consistently disproportionate to the number of people in attendance as reflected in the attendance register. The vote count only tallied in the sectors of Environmental Development and Faith Based. I kept record of the outcomes.
“The presiding officer appeared to be unprepared or decided to rush through the process, probably because of the delay, I can only guess.
“The reluctance of the presiding officer to announce the outcomes of the vote count to the meeting despite my insistence was also in conflict with the very principles of a free and fair election as espoused in the Electoral Act.
“Some candidates were allowed to wear party regalia while introducing themselves to the audience. I am also led to believe that ward committee elections is to be an apolitical process.
“Officials appeared to be unprepared and have consciously or unconsciously allowed the ward committee elections to degenerate into the chaotic state prior the meeting and throughout the duration of elections.
“I also know of a man, high on glue, puffing it in the meeting who was allowed to disrupt the meeting continuously. That behaviour caused many people to leave the meeting due to no action from the officials in charge. That disruptive behaviour continued right through the meeting.”
The Advertiser is in possession of the objection response, which indicates that the municipality upheld some of De Vos’ claim that the law was contravened in some way, including the participation of people who are not registered to vote in Ward 32.
De Vos urged community members to come out in their numbers to vote for the ward committees.
Ward committees are crucial in the local government system, as they are meant to be the link between the councillor and the community.
They are made up of members who represent various interests within their ward. They may also make recommendations on any matter affecting their ward to the ward councillor, or through the ward councillor to the municipal council, the executive committee or support committee.
They also represent the community on the compilation and implementation of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
No comment from the metro had been received at the time of going to press.-@FanieFLK
