Ivor Powell
With mounting political violence and endemic intimidation in some areas threatening to disrupt the June 2 election, a leading violence monitor has called on the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to cancel polling in areas where political parties and their agents were prevented from operating.
Speaking at a workshop on violence and the elections, held in Johannesburg this week, the co-ordinator of the Network of Independent Monitors, Jenni Irish, said that the IEC would have to take firm action in certain areas of rural KwaZulu-Natal to guarantee the integrity of the electoral process.
The call was made against a dramatic rise in politically motivated violence in the province in 1998 and the early part of 1999.
Irish also noted that monitors were investigating the transfer of illegal weapons, especially on the North Coast and the Midlands. She said the stockpiling of weaponry was taking place in conjunction with paramilitary training camps.
The potentially incendiary situation in the province is exacerbated by the virtual breakdown of a peace process initiated by African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma and then Inkatha Freedom Party chair Frank Mdlalose in 1996. Structures comprising 10 ANC and 10 IFP representatives – that the peace process set in place – have failed to meet since the middle of last year.
Irish said there were reports that in some areas agents of political parties had been prevented from canvassing. She referred to areas where a kind of political ethnic cleansing had been discovered – with supporters of a rival party being systematically driven out.
Such practices made a mockery of democratic elections, said Irish, and it was the responsibility of the IEC to do whatever was necessary to safeguard the democratic process – even if it meant cancelling elections where freedom and fairness could not be guaranteed.
The Electoral Act allows the IEC discretion to use such powers, as well as providing for an electoral court which can fine or even suspend candidates or political groupings found guilty of undermining the electoral process.
A recent SABC/Institute for Democracy in South Africa election survey showed that 25% of the electorate admitted they would actively work to prevent political rivals from operating in their constituency.
IEC representative Herbert Vilikazi said the committee would do whatever was necessary to guarantee the electoral process – including striking candidates off the roll if they were shown to be in breach of the codes of conduct in the Electoral Act.