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The Inkatha Freedom Party has challenged the results of yesterday's
by-elections in Newcastle, alleging that there was fraud in the process.
The IFP Provincial Deputy Chairperson who is also the IFP's deployed
leader in Amajuba District, Mr. Blessed Gwala said the IFP will consider
approaching the Electoral Court should the Independent Electoral
Commission (IEC) refuse to nullify yesterday's results.

"Yesterday's elections were tantamount to daylight robbery which we
cannot accept. For instance, the Ballot Papers used during voting were
not original. Instead the IEC used duplicate forms which had no serial
numbers. In addition, the IEC unilaterally encircled the house of the
IFP candidate such that it fell within the IEC territory. This they did
without any consultations with the family, and, when the family
protested, the IEC simply ignored them. The negative effect of this act
was that this family house could not be used as support base despite the
fact that the head of the family was the IFP candidate. In fact the
family was displaced because their house was now part of the IEC area,"
said Mr Gwala.

"Against the background of the foregoing, we have no option but to call
on the IEC to nullify the elections in Newcastle so that elections will
start afresh. In fact we have already begun to engage the IEC on this
matter. If they refuse, we will have no option but to approach the
Electoral Court," continued Mr. Gwala.