KZN police investigate theft of ballot papers at voting station

Police in KwaZulu-Natal are investigating a case of burglary after ballot papers and other sensitive IEC materials were stolen from a voting station in Hillcrest, west of Durban.

The materials were reportedly left inside an unlocked guard house on Tuesday night, without overnight security or a police escort.

Police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, says investigations will also establish why the sensitive election materials were delivered to the voting station a day before voting began, without a police escort.

“It is reported that IEC’s Presiding Officer went to the school, which is used as a voting station, and put sensitive material such as inks, voter rolls, and ballot papers inside an unlockable guardhouse on Tuesday evening. The presiding officer reportedly locked the school gate and left. According to information, there was a group of about ten people who could see what the official was doing inside the guardhouse. The school does not have a security guard overnight. When the presiding officer arrived at the school on Wednesday morning, she noticed that the gate of the school was open and there were people who were standing outside the school gate. When she proceeded to the guardhouse, she found that ballot papers and other IEC materials were stolen. The matter was then reported to the police.”

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