IEC Snaps Back at ActionSA Following Threat of Legal Action: “Pure Sabotage”
- The Independent Electoral Commission has revealed that ActionSA allegedly failed to provide an abbreviated name for itself
- The news follows party leader Herman Mashaba's tweet threatening legal action against the Commission for sharing the party's logo but not its name on the final draft ballot paper
- South Africans have had numerous responses to the incident and took to Mashaba's replies section on Twitter to share their thoughts
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JOHANNESBURG - The IEC revealed that the reason ActionSA's name did not appear on its final draft ballot paper is due to the party's own issues. The Commission said it would not be changing the ballot paper before the local government elections on 1 November, even though the new party threatened legal action.
The IEC said in response to the complaints that Herman Mashaba's party failed to register either an acronym or abbreviated name to appear on the ballot. The Commission revealed that ActionSA wrote 'not applicable' in the area where it was requested to provide an abbreviated name.
The Commission revealed the news on Monday, 4 October, after it failed to meet the deadline set by ActionSA which was set for 10am. The IEC pinned all the blame on the party.
Source: Getty Images
According to News24, the Commission explained further that ActionSA has no abbreviated name. A report by TimesLIVE revealed that the lack of an abbreviated name for ActionSA is what caused the blank space on the ballot paper.
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Heading online, Mashaba stated that the party is registered, legally, as ActionSA and not as a logo. He explained that the registration papers have no hold on the legalities involving ballot papers adding that ActionSA's name does not need to be abbreviated.
South Africans respond to Mashaba's explanation on Twitter
@seekomar asked:
"Don't you know how to complete forms?"
@mark_forty2 wrote:
"It's not like ActionSA can win any election to be honest, whatever name they use on the ballot. Elections are about telling the masses what you'll do for them and how. ActionSA has done none of that."
@RalfBittkau shared:
"So because you didn't read the rule book you now cry foul?"
ActionSA to take legal action against IEC for final draft ballot: "Mashaba, relax baba"
Previously, Briefly News reported that ActionSA's name is reportedly not on the draft ballot that has been set up by the IEC. Although they may be a new party they are most definitely making their mark. The party has gained a massive number of followers since their inception last year.
Party leader Herman Mashaba took to Twitter to share an image of the draft ballot where the party's logo is visible but their name is not.
Heading online Mashaba asked his followers if they could see a problem with the draft ballot. He wrote:
"This is what the @IECSouthAfrica presented as final draft ballot papers for wards in Gauteng. Notice a problem?"
Source: Briefly News
