11 Party Supporters to Appear in Douglas Court After 100 Ballot Papers Destroyed
- Eleven suspects face multiple charges after allegedly storming a Northern Cape voting centre and destroying 100 ballot papers
- The incident at Bongani Community Hall prompted the IEC to withhold the official Douglas election results
- The Hawks confirmed the criminal investigation is ongoing as the IEC prepares to announce a revote date
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NORTHERN CAPE — Eleven political party supporters are set to appear before the Douglas Magistrates' Court on Monday after their arrest in connection with the destruction of 100 ballot papers at the Bongani Community Hall voting and counting centre during the 2026 Local Government Elections.
Northern Cape Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe confirmed the suspects face a range of charges, including contravention of the Municipal Electoral Act 27 of 2007, malicious damage to property, assault, and intimidation. The property damage charges cover both the destroyed ballot papers and structural damage caused to the municipal hall.
Ballot destruction triggered by dispute
The incident unfolded after a disagreement over ballot papers escalated at the Bongani Community Hall. A group forcibly entered the station while voting and counting processes were underway and proceeded to destroy the ballots. The scale of the disruption was sufficient to compromise the integrity of the count entirely.
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IEC withholds Douglas results, orders revote
The Electoral Commission of South Africa announced that official election results for Douglas would be withheld in the wake of the incident. IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya explained that electoral law leaves no discretion in such situations: a revote is compulsory whenever ballot papers are lost, stolen, or destroyed the count is finalised.
The commission said it would confirm the date of the revote once logistical arrangements had been concluded. The Hawks' criminal investigation into the disruption continues alongside the IEC's administrative process.
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IEC officials evacuated at Ga-Rankuwa
In a related article, Briefly News reported on the storming of an IEC voting station at Rakale Thabong Primary School in Ga-Rankuwa after vote counting and the announcement of results.
The incident forced officials to flee under police protection, while the IEC secured the ballots and other election materials. The disruption came amid reports of election-related incidents and arrests in several provinces.
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