A presiding officer was taken in by the police at Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal, on Wednesday after marked ballot papers were found at a polling station.
Provincial safety and security minister Bheki Cele waited for the presiding officer at the police station in Ulundi.
According to the African National Congress, two boxes containing 100 marked ballot papers were found at 19B South Hall in Ulundi.
In addition, Independent Electoral Commission officials at the Ulundi polling station said an envelope which was supposed to contain 53 special votes had been found with 104 votes inside.
Another batch of ballot papers found had been marked in the IFP’s favour, the officials said.
The ANC expressed shock at the discovery.
Voting at the polling station was delayed with officials still trying to sort out the problem at 8am.
IEC regional supervisor Xolani Ngcobo said the deputy presiding officer would take charge at the polling station, which was being monitored by a number of international election observers.
Another IEC spokesperson Mawethu Mosery said the matter was now in the hands of the police.
‘Access issues’
Fewer than 100 polling stations had not opened by 8.15am on Wednesday, the IEC said from its centre in Pretoria.
Deputy chief electoral officer Mosotho Moepya, pointing to a large digital map of the country, said the opening of polling stations in the eastern part of the country was delayed due to “access issues”.
“The rains wreaked havoc in the eastern part of the country, but all the stations there have opened. Less than 100 stations are not opened because of general access issues,” he said.
The digital map of the country was dotted with areas marked in yellow, mostly in KwaZulu-Natal, which had not yet opened.
Moepya described the poll as “one of a kind”, adding that the opening of polling stations at 7am marked a “defining moment in South African politics.”
Twenty-three million South Africans are registered to vote in what has been described as the most keenly contested election since the demise of apartheid.
Meanwhile, the centre was quiet as last minute preparations for the day’s events took place.
As the morning progressed, political party officials and IEC officials began arriving.
Some IEC officials arrived at the centre as early as 4.30am on the chilly morning.