A delay in ballot papers stopped 217 voting stations in the Cape Metro from opening on time on Monday. Special voting began that day, ahead of the local government elections on Wednesday.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in the Western Cape said special vote ballots reached some areas late. Provincial Electoral Officer Michael Hendrickse said the problem affected only the Cape Metro.
“Despite the best efforts of the IEC and the printing company contracted to carry out the production of the ballots, there has been an unforeseen delay in the delivery of special vote ballots in some areas,” Hendrickse said.
He said the stations were opening as the ballots arrived. He also said security measures were in place for moving and delivering the ballots.
Hendrickse apologised to voters and said stations in the outer regions of the province were running smoothly. He said voters who applied for special votes would be able to vote over the two days.
Democratic Alliance leader and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis criticised the delays.
“It is about midday, and we have a lot of voting stations around the city still not open. Nearly half of the first day of voting is gone. This is a completely unacceptable situation,” he said.
Hill-Lewis said they were trying to find out why the problem affected only the Cape Metro.
IOL reported that some residents in Kraaifontein were told to vote on Tuesday because there were no ballot papers. A resident who went to Little Concordia in Pinelands was also told no ballots were available.
At the Table View Sports Complex, voting could only begin at 9.30am because ward ballots came late. The station expected 64 special votes and planned 11 home visits, IOL reported.
The Presiding Officer at the CBC St John’s voting station in Parklands told IOL it also started late, after ward ballots arrived late. Some voters there found their addresses did not show on the IEC system.
The officer said staff check a voter’s address on the system when it is not known. Voters registered at another station could still vote, but only on the PR ballot, the officer said. Otherwise, they could choose to vote on Wednesday.
Voters in the Cape Metro receive two ballot papers. One is a ward ballot and the other is a proportional representation (PR) ballot.
Voter Nolwandle Ntshiza told IOL she applied for a special vote because she works on Wednesday.
“It’s very critical to vote. You’re given a chance to make a choice once every five years for yourself in a way you want this country to be governed,” she said.
A voting station on Humewood Drive in Parklands had no queues, with only IEC officials on the premises, IOL reported. Its Presiding Officer said the station had 28 special votes.
Special voting runs over two days, Monday and Tuesday, and the elections follow on Wednesday.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.