DA votes found dumped in Pretoria: report

Ballot papers have been found dumped in Lynnwood Ridge, Pretoria, according to a report.

Eyewitness News reported that the ballots were found in a park.

The news service tweeted a picture showing most of the votes appear to be for the DA, and claims that sources said the black bags were discovered by residents this morning, only to be collected by an unknown man earlier today.

According to the report the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says it is aware of the incident and is following it up.

Earlier IFP supporters apparently held a group of ANC agents hostage after a ballot boxes from the Women for Peace voting station in Alexandra were apparently loaded into a strange car.

ANC spokesman Nkenke Kekana said about 20 party agents were held hostage.

"They held ANC party agents hostage for five hours... leadership of both parties intervened and resolved the matter."

According to IFP secretary general Sbongile Nkomo the party will be lodging an objection with the IEC over the matter.

According to a tweet by EFF member Boitumelo Molelekeng, votes were also found dumped in Diepsloot.

The Mail and Guardian's elections live blog reports that the IEC says the following about missing ballot boxes:

"Provisional results are announced at a station when it closes, party agents sign a slip to confirm results attributed to their parties are correct. [It then] moves to a local counting site where it is captured and audited. If a ballot box is mislaid, [it] does not affect regularity of accounting before [the] party agents and presiding officer at the voting station. Mislaying of ballot box does not amount to an irregularity necessarily.”