‘Nhlambeni has 300 people but about 1 000 cast their votes’

NKANINI — The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) offices were a hive of activity yesterday as scores of voters turned up with various complaints about the way the Primary Elections were handled.

Siboniso Gumbi who had joined the race at Ngonini Umphakatsi under Nhlambeni Inkhundla led a crowd of about 15 people who had come to complain that the eventual winner Sandile Mabuza had allegedly fetched people who were not from that area to come and vote.
Gumbi who is a head teacher at Mhube came second in the elections.  

“We are not hear to demand a re-election but we just want the EBC to be aware that there were many factors which did not go well with the primary elections,” said Gumbi.

Gumbi claimed the chiefdom had about 300 residents, but it was surprising that there were about 1 000 people who voted there.
Gumbi was accompanied by other candidates who lost in the election of Indvuna YeNkhundla and Bucopho and other sympathisers.

aspiring

Also at the EBC were aspiring Bucopho candidates from Macetjeni.
Muzi Shongwe a candidate told this reporter that at the nomination stage nine people had been selected as Bucopho.
He said, however, when the ballot papers were delivered they found that the nine had been divided into two groups of four and five respectively and the ballot papers were taken to different polling stations named Tjedze and Mabudzeni.

decided

“The polling officers told us that it was too far for some voters to travel and this does not make sense to us why they decided on two different polling stations,” said Shongwe.
He said they wanted the EBC to restart the elections for Bucopho.
However, a number of the complainants were told that their matters would be addressed in due course as the returning officers were not at the EBC offices.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: