The by-election for the Abaqulusi municipality's ward 22 could not be held due to an Electoral Court order.
|||Durban - The by-election for the Abaqulusi municipality's ward 22 could not be held on Wednesday due to an Electoral Court order, the Independent Electoral Commission said.
KwaZulu-Natal IEC spokesman Mawethu Mosery said the court, sitting in Durban, granted an order on Tuesday evening allowing Andre Lotter to run as an independent candidate.
Lotter was previously an African National Congress candidate in the Vryheid ward.
The ANC in the province said in a statement the court ordered KwaZulu-Natal co-operative governance MEC Nomusa Dube and the IEC to allow Lotter to be registered as a candidate.
Spokesman Bongani Mthembu said the court also ordered the IEC to look into alleged fraud involving the voters' roll.
IEC spokeswoman Kate Bapela said the commission was looking into the issues raised.
Mthembu said: “Based on the support the ANC received during campaigns for the by-election, we have no doubt that we would have won the by-election if it was not postponed”.
The party believed the postponement would afford the party an opportunity to consolidate its support.
“Lotter has tried his best to remain a councillor after the ANC accepted his resignation because he was failing to serve the people.”
Meanwhile, by-elections in other municipal wards were running smoothly on Wednesday, Bapela said.
Residents of 19 wards across eight provinces were casting their votes, with no reports of misconduct.
“In general the by-elections are going on well. As the IEC we will be happy if the turn-out is high because South Africans should choose their leaders. We hope South Africans use this opportunity.”
Bapela said the voting stations would be open until 9pm on Wednesday. She encouraged people to vote. She said the stations opened at 7am and thanked officials for their patience.
Initially 55 candidates from 12 political parties and six independent candidates were expected to contest the 20 wards.
A total of 105,393 voters were registered in the wards and the 112 voting districts where the by-elections would take place. - Sapa