Zanu-PF castigates attempts to soil SA polls Minister Nyoni

Nduduzo Tshuma Bulawayo Bureau
THE Zanu-PF observer mission has castigated attempts to discredit the South African national elections in the wake of claims of double voting with some videos circulating on social media of some people committing the mischief.

South Africans cast their votes in the country’s national elections on Wednesday.

In an interview with a South African television station, Zanu-PF secretary for Business Liaison Cde Sithembiso Nyoni, who is heading one of the ruling party’s teams observing the elections, said the incidents were too few to affect the poll outcome while the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) was well equipped to trace those double voters.

Cde Nyoni is part of the 11-member election observer mission, chaired by Cde Patrick Chinamasa, dispatched by President Mnangagwa to observe the South African polls.

They broke into three teams led by Cdes Chinamasa, Nyoni and Simon Khaya Moyo respectively.

Cde Nyoni said allegations of electoral irregularities will always be there, the commission has confidence in the capacity of the IEC in addressing the concerns.

“We visited about 20 polling stations and we were very careful in terms of observing how the elections were being run. These allegations will always be there, but the important thing is, according to what we saw, it is possible to trace who has voted twice because your system is tight.

“This (alleged double voting), if it happened, and I have been following your media, the IEC is committed to following whoever has voted twice,” said Cde Nyoni.

She said the implications on the double voting incidents would be determined by how the IEC handles the matter.

“What puzzles me, I was following this very closely, is I heard that there are people who have confessed that they voted twice and the question we have as observers is why did they do it and then go to confess. What was their objective?

“The public of South Africa needs to look at those questions, who are those people and I think the way IEC is going to handle it is really what is going to determine what will happen, but I don’t think there could be as many people which could affect the election outcome,” said Cde Nyoni.

She said her team was happy with the reception and cooperation they received from IEC officials and political parties during their mission.

“We were very happy and the people were happy. What pleased us is that we would see EFF on one side of the gate dancing and campaigning and on the other side ANC dancing, they were both happy campaigning peacefully and that is how it should be,” she said.

The IEC was expected to announce the conclusive results either by end of yesterday or today.

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