Presiding officer leaves voting station unattended at KZN school to teach

The Electoral Commission in strife-torn KwaZulu-Natal says despite service delivery protests, a shooting incident, unstamped ballot papers and a presiding officer leaving a voting station unattended, it's all systems go for national elections.

Acting provincial electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga told journalists at a media briefing on Tuesday that the province was "much more stable" than it was the previous day, when public protests at several spots marred the first day of special voting.

Masinga said one incident where IEC staff were locked out of the commission by municipal security guards in Maphumulo was trending.

"We were also concerned about a shooting incident which took place in Weenen where our staff were caught up as well. Fortunately the police were there on time and our staff was safely escorted back to our offices."

Masinga said the incident was not related to voting but was related "to an issue that has been brewing in that municipality for a period of time".

She said there were no injuries.

Masinga also said a presiding officer, who is a teacher at a school used as a voting station in Dr Nkosazana Zuma municipality, had left the voting station unattended while continuing with her teaching duties.

She said there was also an incident of ballot papers that were either "not administered via envelopes or issued unstamped (which renders the vote invalid)".

"Where IEC staff were found wanting, they were dealt with decisively."

Of the 70,672 home visit applications that were approved for special voting in KwaZulu-Natal, 42,260 were administered on Monday, and of the more than 30,000 voting station visits that were approved, 12,443 were administered.

Mawethu Mosery, the IEC deputy CEO, appealed to voters to check that their ballot papers were stamped on the back, or else their vote would be rendered invalid.

He said with voting stations where there were less than 1,000 voters, results were likely to emerge from midnight on Wednesday.

"On Thursday we will continue collating, telling and auditing. By Friday morning we will likely get an indication of the provincial and national picture."

Mosery said that the final announcement of results would be made on Saturday.

Meanwhile, ANC KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Sihle Zikalala made a brief visit to the IEC results centre in Durban.

He told journalists that the ANC was happy with the state of readiness of the IEC to administer the elections and was confident that the party would fare well in the province.

On the issue of coalitions, Zikala said the ANC was "not thinking of a coalition in the province... there are no discussions".

KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu was also expected to make an appearance at the IEC nerve centre on Tuesday.