ELECTION UPDATE 2006 SOUTH AFRICA Number 2 30 March 2006 contents LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION DAY Limpopo 1 Northern Cape 4 Western Cape 12 North West Province 16 Mpumalanga 19 KwaZulu-Natal 22 Eastern Cape 28 Gauteng 30 Free State 35 EISA Editorial Team Jackie Kalley, Khabele Matlosa, Denis Kadima Published with the assistance of the OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATION – SOUTH AFRICA LIMPOPO area along the Lepelle River, manager in Limpopo, the electoral staff together with biggest problem in the Kholofelo Mashabela their electoral equipment had province was getting the University of Limpopo to cross the river using a senior IEC officials to the traditional form of cable car polling stations for Polling Stations called segwaigwai. In the monitoring purposes, but the Giyani area, only 100 people voting stations were not All 2175 voting districts in in one community cast their affected as the electoral Limpopo were operational votes because the voters had officers and electorate on the day of the local to cross a running river to get mainly lived in the areas government elections, 1 to the voting stations. where the polling stations March 2006. Thanks to the Furthermore, in other areas were located. An additional favourable weather, most of Giyani voters had to be was experienced in obtaining polling stations opened on transported in trucks to get confirmation from the time. However, in the far- them across waterlogged presiding officers at the flung rural areas of the areas to the voting stations. stations. It had been arranged province, a week of heavy that at 07h00 when the rains put the election process According to Mrs N C stations opened, all voting under pressure. In the Penge Neswiswsi, deputy EDDE stations would alert the nerve election update 2006 South Africa number 2 centre by SMS that they had it had no way of determining Others would say they opened. The SMS traffic at whether or not the secrecy of wanted to vote for the person that point was so great that the ballot could have been who provides their pension, there was a near jam of the compromised by illiteracy. the school buildings and the airwaves. This resulted in Mr. Thivhilaeli Nedohe, feeding programme at some of these confirmations communications manager of schools. When told that it being received much later in the IEC in Limpopo said that was not any of the the day, but all indicated their report on the elections contestants but the they had been sent at the may or may not throw more government that provided agreed time. light on this factor. these services, they would similarly become upset. Still All stations closed on time at However Mrs Neswiswi said others described parties by 19h00 but voters who were that the debriefing sessions their symbols, often already in the voting stations held with Presiding Officers confusing symbols that were had been allowed to continue and municipalities after the used by particular parties casting their votes. This elections had not indicated with those not officially resulted in voting stations that this posed a problem. registered by any party. This closing business for the day This was substantiated by the also had an effect of at 21h00. This also affected lack of recorded complaints delaying the voting process. the release of results as those from any of the party agents stations that closed business suggesting that they believed The scenario in the previous later, provided the results to the illiteracy of voters could paragraph, although not their municipalities later. have compromised the critical, should be worrying This had resulted in the secrecy of the ballot. for those concerned with the municipalities releasing their elections being above board. results at a much later time. A case study focusing on a In a way it echoes what was voting district in the said by Limpopo PEO, the Secrecy of the Ballot Fetakgomo local Reverend Zwo Nevhutalu at municipality, in the Greater the launch of the operations Although the mechanism for Sekhukhune District centre. He had said that a secret ballot in terms of provides some interesting “democracy illiteracy” in the human resources and insights. The Presiding province was critical. physical Officer at Maebe Primary provision/arrangement of School voting district said The Voting Process polling booths, were that illiterate voters provided for by the IEC, especially the elderly, proved In most areas voting stations voter illiteracy and the problematic in ensuring a opened on time. Generally general illiteracy of the completely secret ballot. voting started off slowly, population are likely to have Elderly voters would come mainly by the adult compromised the secrecy of in and say they had come to population, and senior the ballot. Many voters, vote for Mandela. When told citizens in particular. This especially in the rural areas that Mandela was no longer tendency was also noted by are barely literate and for involved in active politics, the SABC radio stations in them issues raised by parties they became upset. The Limpopo, who ran a running in their campaigns have officials and party agent commentary on the voting largely been academic and it were then forced to show the process in the province. was either personalities or voter the ballot paper and According to spot interviews symbolism that held sway on ask the voter to identify the on radio the youth said they how they would vote. On the party that closely resembled were showing deference to other hand the IEC said that what they were looking for. adults by not voting early. 2 election update 2006 South Africa number 2 Most of the youth flocked to the period after work to cast would theoretically put a voting stations in the late their votes. ‘spoilt votes party’ in overall afternoons leading to third position in the congestion in many voting There were some incidents, province, underscoring the districts towards the close of however, that marred the need for more intensive voter voting. This was voting. At Mankweng’s education. According to IEC compounded by those who Klaas Mothapo School officials at some voting had worked a half day or full voting district, members of stations, there are voters who day who arrived at the the public reported used their ballot papers to stations only after work. loudhailer campaigning register their protests against Some voting stations in the within earshot of the voting the system. province were forced to district. An IEC official said delay counting to allow he had not heard this as he Voting Behaviour crowds of people who had was probably inside the not yet voted, but were school buildings at the time The voters in Limpopo gave inside the stations at the the alleged breach of the the ANC a massive vote of designated closing time to electoral Code of Conduct confidence with 2 369 900 cast their votes. took place. votes, which translated into 83,99% of the voter support. The IEC provided statistics At another Mankweng The ANC won 933 of the that showed that elections voting district, Ditlalemeso available 1 240 seats. This kicked off to a brisk start and Secondary School, several translated into 75.24% of the working up to a peak verbal altercations took place vote. The DA won 154 461 between 13h00 and 17h00 intermittently between an or 5.47% of the votes and the when stations closed. The independent candidate and rest of the contestants shared following table indicates the alleged members of the the remaining19.33% of the cumulative number of voters ANC. One of theses took valid votes. on election day: place just outside the designated voting area while The figures provided by the Cumulative Number Time Period of Voters on others took place outside the IEC reveal an interesting 92 Elections Day entrance to the school. 010 votes or 3.26% of the 07h00 - 09h00 348 598 09h01 - 11h00 549 930 SABC radio also reported vote going to an unspecified 11h01 - 13h00 1 549 450 the incidents. ‘other’. The rest of the 13h01 - 15h00 1 686 032 15h01 - 17h00 1 760 060 parties did not reach a 17h01 - 19h00 2 976 775 Citizen Participation percentage vote higher than 3,26% each and this The figures provided There were 2 145 186 voters indicates a serious inability indicate that between 11h01 registered to vote in by the parties to attract and 13h00 a million votes Limpopo with a potential 6 disaffected voters. It could were cast, indicating that 435 558 votes to be cast. The also be argued that the most voters waited until late potential rose because each 55.25% of the potential in the morning before going voter was required to cast voters who did not cast their to the polls. Another peak three votes: for ward, PR and votes failed to notice the period was between 17h01 district council. appeal of the opposition and 19h00, indicating that parties. The ANC had a the youth had targeted this All in all, 2 821 502 valid 100% sweep of all seats in late period to vote. It would votes or 44.75% of potential 14 out of the 25 also suggest that there are votes were cast in the municipalities which were many workers who did not province and a further 58 being contested and are the receive a holiday and used 147 votes were spoilt. This leading party in the other 11 3 election update 2006 South Africa number 2 municipalities. The Sekhukhune Department of Political Total Votes following results show the Party in Percentage Science at the University of performance of the different the District the Free State as observers ANC 154 170 85.94 parties in the five districts of AZAPO 6 216 3.46 on election day.