The Free State provincial IEC denied the allegations over the opening of polling stations. (Alfonso Nkunjana/News24)
- South Africa's Free State Electoral Commission denied claims that polling stations were not opened on Wednesday.
- Itumeleng Liba from the IEC said they were investigating an incident at Bloemfontein South High School where voters were given only two ballot papers.
- Everything you need to know about the 2024 general election on News24 Election Hub.
The South African Electoral Commission (IEC) in the Free State province on Wednesday denied allegations regarding the opening of polling stations across the province.
Contrary to reports that some stations in the state are yet to open, IEC Provincial Administrator Itumeleng Riba said all stations are operational as scheduled.
He explained that signal issues caused the Voting Management Devices (VMDs) to not reflect that polling stations were open, resulting in the discrepancies.
“All stations in the Free State province are open and opened on time,” Liba told News24 at the ROC in Bloemfontein.
Rolling Coverage | IEC reports “minimal” problems, expects turnout to be over 66%
“Polling stations have to be open on the VMD and if there is no signal or there is any problem with the signal then the polling station will be shown as closed even if it is open on the ground.”
Liba added that the Free State province, and Bloemfontein in particular, faces two major challenges.
“Firstly, the queue was a bit slow in the morning and on top of that, our machine was losing its signal,” he said.
He added:
The second biggest problem was people showing up to vote at polling stations where they weren't registered.
When News24 visited the polling station at Bloemfontein South High School, it emerged that voters had only received two ballot papers.
The incident caused widespread discontent.
Riva said he first learned of the issue during a meeting with political parties on Wednesday afternoon.
Also see | Large crowds gather as South Africans queue to vote.
“This is due to the speaker's apparent ignorance, but we have sent our superiors in to understand what the problem is and are fixing it,” he said.
“They are [voters] You will be given the third ballot that was not given to you in the morning.
“I can confidently say that everything is going well. [in the Free State]However, with the exception of a few of the examples mentioned above.”
