by Mogomotsi Magome
Pretoria - The 2016 local government elections have been billed as one of the most fiercely contested since 1994, with the ruling party under pressure to retain its dominance in the local government sphere.
Opposition parties were also under pressure to convince voters they are a better alternative to the ANC and possibly dislodge it from its pedestal as a dominant political force at local government level.
In fact, even the Independent Electoral Commission came under scrutiny as questions were raised about its capacity and impartiality in the run-up to the municipal poll.
Not only has the IEC had to fight for its credibility following the departure of its former chairwoman Pansy Tlakula due to a controversy over tender irregularities, but it has also been challenged operationally.
In one fell swoop, the events that unfolded in Tlokwe in the North West, where the IEC was forced by the courts to re-run the municipal by-elections, put the commission’s ability to effectively run free and fair elections to the test.
The court's ruling suggested the IEC was unable to pass the test.
These events created the perception that the body was less than fit to run a free and fair poll.
This particular election, which saw at least 13 known election-related deaths of would-be councillors, put it under enormous pressure, more so because it is the largest elections it has had to run since 1994.
The size of the elections has literally grown from about 10 000 voting stations in 1994, about 15 000 in 1999 and more than 22 000 in 2016.
The commission was relieved that the Constitutional Court did not insist that it verify the addresses of the all eligible voters as this would have crippled the IEC and possibly resulted in a postponement of the municipal polls.
As millions of voters headed to the polls in the early hours of Wednesday, there were already reports that many voting stations did not open on time.
This appeared to have more to do with logistics around the transport of ballot papers and voters rolls, which is done in conjunction with the SAPS.
While this is a serous matter, it was not as bad as some of the incidents reported throughout the day. In KwaZulu-Natal, the commission had to dismiss electoral officials over irregularities with the processing of the special voting process in Folweni and Dundee.
Another official was dismissed after she was busted trying to mark ballot papers in favour of a specific candidate who happened to be her mother.
Such issues raise questions about the vetting process of people employed by the IEC, in as much as they can be attributed to the human element.
Chief electoral officer Mosotho Moepye addressed this just before the start of the elections, saying these should be addressed by balancing the human input with technology.
That these alleged culprits were caught some would argue means that the checks and balances are in place to eliminate cheats and crooks in the system.
It is perhaps impossible to run incident-free elections, with political parties also culpable of complicating the work of the IEC.
In Tlokwe it was political parties that bused in ineligible voters to voting stations, and in Dundee it was the people who did not follow processes when processing special votes.
Objections from political parties are expected once the processing and counting get under way.
How the IEC deals with them will play a significant part in whether it emerges with its credibility intact.
The commission said on Wednesday that it was experiencing more complaints and matters at the electoral court than ever before.
And this is likely to increase as the country’s political landscape changes and more parties and independent candidates become significant political forces.
The IEC’s survival as a credible institution will most likely hinge on how it evolves with the increasingly dynamic political climate, and whether it manages to ensure digital checks and balances are in place to avert any manipulation by vested party political interests.