Tuesday, 16 September 2025

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng has conducted a preliminary analysis of the Ward 29 voters’ roll in order to inspect and raise objections where necessary. The verification exercise revealed that there are people registered without addresses, several people registered under a single address, and evidence suggesting that individuals from outside the ward have been registered.

These findings point to a systemic and critical failure in the record-keeping and administration of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). The EFF has therefore raised a formal objection to the provisional voters’ roll for Ward 29, pursuant to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 1998 (Act No. 73 of 1998). Our objection is based on prima facie evidence that a significant portion of the roll contains entries with addresses that are false, incomplete, or invalid. This constitutes a material irregularity that threatens the integrity of the electoral process.

Section 7(1) of the Electoral Act mandates that a voter’s registration must include their “ordinary place of residence,” therefore the widespread use of “null” entries directly contravenes this requirement, rendering these registrations invalid. In addition, the Act requires the completeness and accuracy of the voters’ roll. A roll with mass blank entries is neither complete nor accurate.

The Constitution enshrines the principles of free and fair elections, which require a transparent and verifiable electoral process. An unverifiable voters’ roll is vulnerable to manipulation and fraud, including bussing in of voters and ghost voters, and this undermines these fundamental principles.

These irregularities are not isolated incidents. In the Umtata Ward 6 by-election last month, voters were registered at warehouses, legal practices, and houses where they did not reside; while earlier this month in Nala, Free State, 122 names appeared with no addresses, which was material because the EFF lost that election by only 64 votes. Similarly in the Soweto by-elections, 169 names were also recorded without addresses.

The EFF is placed at a serious disadvantage when a voters’ roll contains names without addresses. This is a flagrant disregard of the Constitutional Court judgement in the Kham and Mhlophe matter where the Court was clear that the IEC must provide political parties with voters’ details, including addresses, to ensure accurate campaigning and correct placement of voters on the roll. It is not sufficient for the IEC to claim it will “harvest” addresses on election day. By that time, political parties would already have been disadvantaged, as some individuals may not reside in the area where the by-election is taking place.

This creates irreparable harm to the EFF because we would have no opportunity to verify whether these individuals are ordinarily resident at the addresses they later provide. Furthermore, it cannot be left to political parties to scrutinise a voters’ roll  during the interim voters’ roll period when it is the mandate of the IEC to ensure that it produces an interim voters roll that is in line with laws and regulations.

The EFF therefore demands that the IEC conduct an audit of the Ward 29 voters’ roll to ensure that all voters are ordinarily resident in the ward, make available a list of all new registrants in Ward 29 from June 2025 until the close of registration for the byelection, and investigate instances where multiple names appear under a single address.

The EFF will not allow the right of our people to free and fair elections to be undermined by administrative failures and blatant disregard for the law.

ISSUED BY ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Sinawo Thambo (National Spokesperson) 072 629 7422

Thembi Msane (National Spokesperson) 061 467 8169

Andiswa Madikazi (Parliament Media Liason) 069 516 4924

Thato Lebyane (Media Inquiries) 078 563 1581