IEC Dismisses Staff Unpreparedness Claims After 12 Million Votes Cast by 5PM
- The IEC's Sy Mamabolo deployed 188,000 staff members on election day and addressed widespread complaints about presiding officer readiness
- By 5:00 PM, 12 million votes had been processed nationally, with Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape leading turnout
- IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya confirmed an investigation into the theft of ballot papers in Ward 2 in eThekwini
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SOUTH AFRICA — The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) pushed back against accusations of staff unpreparedness during its 2026 Local Government Elections evening update, defending the scale and readiness of its operation.
According to The Citizen, IEC Chief Executive Officer Sy Mamabolo confirmed that 188,000 personnel had been deployed nationwide to manage the day's proceedings. By 5:00 PM, officials had processed 12 million votes, with more than seven million of those cast across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape combined.
IEC defends staff training and equipment
Mamabolo characterised complaints about staff efficiency and presiding officer readiness as isolated incidents, arguing they were fractional relative to the size of the overall operation. He said staff completed online training modules in addition to direct physical training for presiding officers.
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On the technical side, Mamabolo stated that 53,000 Voter Management Devices underwent independent testing and auditing before being deployed. He reported no widespread system failures on the day. While acknowledging isolated delays at certain stations, he ruled out extending overall voting hours. Voting stations affected by power outages were supplied with generators and alternative lighting to maintain operations.
The IEC confirmed that all voters still standing in queues at 9:00 PM would be allowed to cast their ballots. After voting closes, ballots are counted at individual stations in the presence of party agents and accredited observers. Each ballot is checked for security stamps, reconciled, and then scanned, verified, and externally audited before results are finalised.
Ballot theft in eThekwini under investigation
IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya addressed the theft of ballot papers in Ward 2 in eThekwini, confirming that an investigation is underway. Moepya stated that existing safeguards are designed to prevent any stolen ballots from being counted in the final results, seeking to reassure the public about the integrity of the process.
2 Arrested for pretending to be officials
In a related article, Briefly News reported on two women arrested in the Eastern Cape after allegedly posing as Electoral Commission officials to collect voting materials from a police station. Police said their claim unravelled when the presiding officer they named was already at the station.
The incident comes as South Africa prepares for the 2026 local government elections, with authorities focused on protecting electoral materials. The suspects were arrested before they could leave with the materials, and the allegations have yet to be tested in court.
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Source: Briefly News
