The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is searching for a missing ballot box in KwaZulu-Natal.
At a press briefing at the National Results Operational Centre in Midrand on Thursday, IEC General Manager Granville Abrahams stated that the ballot box, which had been transported in an open bakkie from a voting station in the province, went missing. The box contained already-counted votes and was lost in transit from Matamzana Dube School in VD 43412767, KZN282, uMhlathuze in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality.
"I wish to emphasize that those votes have been counted and recorded on the results slip," Abrahams said.
"The Commission is required to retain ballot boxes for six months before disposal. We are eager to recover the missing ballot box for storage."
Meanwhile, police have arrested at least 50 people for various election-related crimes. According to National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints) chairperson, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, 98 cases of contravening the Electoral Act have been opened since Monday. These cases include malicious damage to property, theft of political party posters, destruction of electoral material, assault on electoral officials, and intimidation.