A political analyst, André Duvenhage, spoke to OFM News at the Northern Cape Results Operations Centre (ROC) ahead of Monday's municipal elections where about 623 000 registered voters in the province are expected to cast their votes at 728 voting stations. He says about R810 million was irregularly spent in the Northern Cape and this proves that there are challenges in the province. Duvenhage, however, says the scenario in the province is far better when compared to that in the Free State and North West provinces.

"In the North West environment, we are facing complete political and institutional decay in the majority of the municipalities with even the province under administration but when we look at the Northern Cape, it's completely different in that sense but still we are facing challenges. However, read it against the backdrop that 80-90% of all municipalities in South Africa are facing functionality-related challenges," he adds.

He says there is a disappointing pattern of failing to hold their deployees accountable within the ANC. They are not acting against their own leadership, against their own elites and that is by no means unique to the Northern Cape, In a way, that is becoming part of the bigger crisis of endemic corruption within the structures of the ANC," Duvenhage further adds.

During the first day of special voting on Saturday, a few voting stations across the province faced issues and opened late.

IEC spokesperson, Elken Topken, told OFM News at the Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Kimberley that although this happened, the incident is really not unusual, especially during events such as the elections.

He said IEC officials in the province will take this as a learning curve to better prepare for the main municipal elections on Monday, where thousands of voters in the province are expected to flock to different voting stations to cast their votes.

OFM News