ANC rallies behind IEC on voters roll

Thabiso Thakali

JOHANNESBURG: The ANC has warned of “catastrophic” consequences if a recent Electoral Court ruling compelling the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to verify addresses of voters on the voters roll is upheld.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said the court’s findings have the potential to threaten the right to vote – a fundamental right to a democracy.

“A person can only vote if their name is included on the IEC’s voters roll.

“Where a person’s name is removed from the voters roll, he or she will not be able to exercise their right, and it (democracy) becomes empty and useless,” he said in an affidavit to the Constitutional Court.

In February, the Electoral Court postponed the by-elections in Tlokwe, North West, by six weeks until the IEC gives political parties a copy or segment of the voters roll to be used in their six wards, including addresses of all voters where these were available.

The ANC has since approached the Constitutional Court, pleading that the IEC not “disenfranchise” 16.2 million voters registered in the country who cannot remain on the voters roll if the ruling is upheld.

The ruling party is backing the IEC in its application to appeal the Tlokwe by-election ruling, and to be granted access to the Constitutional Court urgently.

This comes on the doorstep of this weekend’s final voter registration and, crucially, before the local government elections on August 3.

“The ANC agrees that this (Equality Court’s ruling) would leave the IEC, political parties and the public in a catastrophic position,” said Mantashe.

At the heart of the dispute is the interpretation of the Constitutional Court’s November ruling on the 2013 Tlokwe by-elections, which were found to have been beset by irregularities involving busing in of people to vote where they didn’t live.

The commission has said its application to the court was to ensure that this year’s local government elections could take place.

But the DA, in its court papers, has dismissed the IEC’s claims, saying the commission was capable of ensuring that the voters roll does include the addresses of all voters where available.

This, according to da Federal chairperson James Selfe, is borne out of the IEC’s own evidence that it had already conducted the necessary training of its 52 000 electoral staff in this regard.

The IFP has joined the court process, stating it endorsed last year’s finding as it reiterated the foundational importance of a legitimate and lawful voters roll.