ONE Merafong Organisation (OMO) is heading to the Electoral Court to challenge the outcome of Ward 26 in Merafong City Local Municipality regarding approximately 204 ballot papers allegedly declared spoilt.
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The organisation said it wants the disputed ballot papers reviewed and has also raised concerns about the size and clarity of its logo on the ballot paper.
OMO claims the logo was reproduced in a way that made it difficult for voters to identify, potentially prejudicing the organisation and its voters.
Bhuti Mthembu, representing OMO, said the organisation had initially lodged an objection with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on 5 November regarding the disputed ballots.
However, Mthembu said the organisation was concerned about the lack of a substantive response from the IEC.
“We’ve received only an automated acknowledgement and no update on whether the objection is being reviewed or what steps the IEC intends to take,” he said.
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Mthembu said the organisation was concerned about the timing of the response, particularly with the election results expected to be declared.
He said OMO wanted the IEC to explain how it intended to deal with the disputed ballots before the results were finalised.
The organisation also questioned whether it had been treated fairly during the electoral process, citing the concerns about its logo on the ballot paper.
Mthembu said OMO was concerned that the logo issue may have been deliberate and wanted the Electoral Court to examine the circumstances and their impact.
“These are serious concerns about the fairness of the electoral process. We intend to pursue them through the appropriate legal channels and will present our evidence to the Electoral Court,” he said.
Mthembu added that OMO wouldn’t allow the concerns raised in its objection to go unanswered and would continue pursuing the matter through the appropriate channels.
Daily Sun contacted the IEC for a comment but at the time of publication, the commission hadn’t responded to the enquiry.
