NATIONAL NEWS - The municipal elections got off to a rocky start in Pretoria on Monday, with several glitches reported from various voting stations. There were reports of some voting stations not having enough ballot papers or scanners not working.
Residents were left frustrated by voting stations opening late or not having enough ballot papers. Some stations ran out of ballots.
Faerie Glen residents stood two hours in the sun before they could cast their votes.
Many in the queue complained about the lack of ballot papers and overall the planning from IEC.
In the north of Pretoria at Laerskool Magalieskruin voting station, residents were shocked to hear that ballot papers were finished around
09:30.
Many voters from Centurion who had been standing in long queues since as early as 06:00 this morning to vote at 07:00, were only able to start voting at 08:30.
The voting station at Hoërskool Zwartkop was still closed at 07:10, and voters were informed there were no ballot papers available at the station, neither was the voting roll. At Kiepersol community centre in Eldoraigne there was neither the stamp nor the voting roll, whereas no ink was available at Heuweloord community centre.
The centre also had no stamp.
In Mamelodi East, Tshwane metro police and South African police were at a voting station where residents who apparently did not register to vote wanted to force their way into the station.
The IEC said on Twitter that they were aware of challenges in certain polling stations and all issues were receiving attention. “Ensuring that South Africans exercise their democratic right, safely and with as little disruption as possible remains our top priority,” the tweet read.
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