Tensions between the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance flared on Wednesday morning, with accusations that the official opposition workers had placed DA stamps and stickers in a number of identity books.
“The ANC is shocked by reports of further instances of DA stickers being placed in voters’ ID books,” ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said in a statement.
He said reports had been received at the ANC’s national operations centre from local election teams indicating that DA stickers and stamps had been used in areas of the Free State and Eastern Cape.
DA chief election spokesperson Douglas Gibson responded by saying: “It’s a big fuss about fuck-all”.
“We’ve investigated and found that two voters in the Free State themselves put DA logos into their ID books. Nobody has heard anything about this. We’ve also heard that in the Venterstad, the ANC are putting ANC cards into ID documents.
Gibson also said that a Mr Mkhize had apparently sent out an SMS to a number of people saying that DA leader Tony Leon was now urging people to vote for the ANC.
“Has Smuts Ngonyama got nothing better to do than issue silly statements. It’s a big fuss about fuck-all. And you can quote me on that.”
Barry Gilder, director-general of the Home Affairs department, said at the Independent Electoral Commission in Pretoria that he was monitoring the situation and pointed out that placing stickers in ID books was in contravention of the law.
“No person should deface or mutilate ID certificates and they are liable for conviction and imprisonment. The Department of Home Affairs take this issue very seriously and we are looking into the matter.”
Gilder said it was his understanding that people with stickers in their ID books would be allowed to vote.
He said reports about the stickers had come from the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape and in the Free State.
The latest allegations follow an incident reported in Malmesbury in the Western Cape last week, where voters had been promised houses in return for voting DA and had DA stickers put in their ID books.
Meanwhile, Gibson said he would be spending the day visiting the 54 voting stations in his constituency, which was Midrand and Sandton North.
Gibson said by 11.30am he had visited ten stations and there had been “huge queues”.
“But there’s an enthusiasm to vote. Voters are turning out in big numbers and are waiting patiently in the sun. It’s very hot.”
Gibson said at the Lonehill voting station there was a queue of about 4 800 people and there were only 140 people getting through in an hour.
“At this rate they’re never going to get through”. – Matthew Burbidge, Sapa
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