Modise, who is a Vryburg native, took to the polls at a local high school in Mafikeng. Modise is quoted as saying that the best tribute that South Africans can pay to the country’s freedom fighters is to vote. 

North West Premier Bushy Maape, is casting his vote in Modise’s home town of Vryburg. Maape was set to inspect the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC’s) results centre in Mahikeng on Saturday but the oversight visit was cancelled at the last minute. 

OFM News’ Olebogeng Motse reports whilst voting is continuing slowly in the North West, the special voting weekend and Monday’s election day has not been without its share of hiccups.

IEC tents in parts of the North West were broken down during the first day of special votes this past weekend due to some disruptions. On Monday the delivery of ballot boxes to parts of Itsoseng was delayed. An anonymous source tells OFM News these ballots were held up in Lichtenburg. 

OFM News was in ward 11 in Itsoseng where elderly residents complained that they had been waiting for hours to cast their votes and were unable to, due to the delay in the delivery of ballot boxes. The IEC in the North West is yet to comment on the incident. The situation has now been rectified.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in the North West previously told OFM News that it estimates that of the 1,6 million registered voters in the province, between 22% and 50% will turn up to the polls on Monday. The Head of the IEC in the province, Tumelontle Thiba, assures North West residents that the 1 743 voting stations are all set to meet the demand, should this prediction come to fruition. Thiba elaborates on some of the logistics of the voting centres in the North West.

“We have 1 mobile voting station in the Kagisanong Molopo Local Municipality, 134 temporary voting stations and the rest are permanent stations,” explains Thiba.

Following the special voting period, the IEC says 83% of South Africans who applied and were approved for the special voting period had made their choice on a ballot. The Commission says all home visits were conducted despite allegations on social media alleging otherwise by a few people. The IEC reminds those who missed the special voting period despite being greenlit for it are still eligible to cast their choice on Monday with the rest of the country.

OFM News