BHISHO, Thursday 5 November 2026 — The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says it intends to open a criminal case against the Electoral Commission (IEC) over alleged irregularities involving special votes in the Eastern Cape.
The allegations concern the Nomandamba voting district in the Intsika Yethu Local Municipality, where the party claims that a ballot box containing special votes was opened without its agents being present.
The EFF also alleges that ballot papers were missing when the box was inspected.
Party raises concerns over ballot handling
EFF Member of Parliament Veronica Mente told SABC News that the matter had been escalated to the provincial IEC for investigation.
Mente claimed that the commission had acknowledged serious irregularities in the handling of the ballots.
That characterisation remains the EFF’s account and has not been independently established through a publicly available IEC finding.
The party said counting in the affected voting district had been suspended and that election materials were being quarantined pending further scrutiny.
According to Mente, police were expected to escort the ballot boxes to a central counting venue, where counting would take place in the presence of political party representatives.
Complaint expected
The EFF said it planned to open a criminal case on Thursday morning.
The allegations come as the IEC processes results from Wednesday’s local government elections, with political parties monitoring the verification of ballots and the declaration of results.
Special votes are subject to the same requirements for lawful handling, counting and verification as other ballots.
The outcome of the complaint will depend on the evidence gathered and any findings made by the IEC or investigating authorities.
Further clarity is expected on whether a criminal case has been formally registered and how the affected voting district’s results will be handled.
