Unizul voting
disputed
SADESMO presidential
candidate -
Christian Ntuli,
along with other SRC
nominees, will have
to patiently await
further developments
Dave
Savides
MEMBERS of the
Independent
Electoral Commission
(IEC) walked out
before votes were
counted in the
Students’
Representative
Council elections at
the University of
Zululand on
Thursday.
The election was
marred by claims and
counter-claims of
irregular voting,
vote tampering and
intimidation by the
IFP-aligned SADESMO
and ANC-aligned
SASCO student
parties.
IEC officials were
allegedly also
intimidated and the
SAPS Area Crime
Combating Unit was
called in to
safeguard the sealed
ballot boxes.
However, after the
police indicated
that this was not
their function,
students themselves
camped next to the
boxes during the
night.
On Friday the
situation was
described as ‘at an
impasse’, with
university
authorities saying
they would wait for
a full report from
the IEC and other
relevant bodies
before making a
decision on the way
ahead.
This could entail
scrapping the
current election and
re-starting the
entire process.
By Wednesday this
week, the position
remained unchanged
with Unizul
management still
awaiting the IEC
report.
