Tshwane council

The Tshwane council is expected to elect a new mayor on Monday. Image: Twitter

DA threatens legal action after Tshwane speaker election

Ballots by DA councillors were marked incorrectly and declared as spoilt ballots, making way for Mncedi Ndzwanana to be elected as speaker.

Tshwane council

The Tshwane council is expected to elect a new mayor on Monday. Image: Twitter

The DA is threatening legal action after 69 votes cast by the party’s councillors were declared spoilt ballots.

ALSO READ: South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Wednesday, 15 March 2023

DA BALLOTS MARKED INCORRECTLY

Ballots by DA councillors were marked incorrectly. This led to it being declared as spoilt ballots, making way for the African Transformation Movement’s Mncedi Ndzwanana to be elected as speaker.

Former deputy chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, Terry Tselane says that if a voter’s intentions are unclear it will be counted as a spoilt ballot.

ALSO READ: Tshwane council elects Mncedi Ndzwanana as new speaker

ATM’s Mncedi Ndzwanana was elected Tshwane council speaker. Image: Twitter

“A spoilt ballot is one where you cannot make out how a voter wanted to vote, and it is where a vote is compromised. If the secrecy of a voter is compromised by the vote, that is a spoilt ballot,” Tselane said.

He says that a political party can instruct members to follow certain guidelines. These, however, should not violate of the rules of the vote.

ALSO READ: Tshwane speaker election disrupted

“If there is a clear indication that the secrecy of a vote was compromised, then the municipal manager and the council would be protected by the legislation for rejecting such a ballot.”

PRESIDING OFFICER AWARE OF THE INVALID BALLOTS

City of Tshwane’s Selby Bokaba says that the presiding officer was made aware of the 69 invalid ballots.

“The presiding officer who is also the regional supervisor of the IEC presided over the election process that is for voting and counting of the ballot papers. Once the counting was done, the presiding officer informed the city manager of the results. They indicated that 69 ballots were rejected.

ALSO READ: National Shutdown LIVE UPDATES: 5 days to go!