Issued by: SA Communication Service
MEDIA RELEASE BY MINISTER DESIGNATE VALLI MOOSA, DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE PRESIDENTIAL TASK GROUP ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN KWAZULU-NATAL, ISSUED IN DURBAN ON SATURDAY 22 JUNE 1996
At its previous meeting on 14 June 1996, the Presidential Task Group received reports that a certain traditional leader in KwaZulu-Natal intended to summon election presiding officers to a meeting. As no person other than the returning officer has the right to do this and any unauthorised attempts to do so could be seen to impinge on the integrity of the elections, the following steps were taken in accordance with decisions of the Task Group:
Notwithstanding these steps, it was reported to the Presidential Task Group at its latest meeting yesterday that such a meeting did in fact take place on 17 June in Maphumulo. An appeal was made for persons having direct knowledge of that meeting to lay a charge against the person or persons concerned. The returning officer concerned. The returning officer concerned is investigating the matter with a view to taking action to ensure that the integrity of the election is not jeopardised by outside interference or pressure. The security forces are also on the lookout for any such contraventions of the Election Regulations.
The Presidential Task Group has taken very great pains since May on a multi-party basis to ensure that everything possible is done in order to have free and fair and peaceful elections next Wednesday throughout KwaZulu-Natal, and excellent progress has been made on all fronts.
One of the most encouraging developments is the recent agreement at leadership level for the parties to jointly promote peace and reduce tensions by addressing areas of activity, specifically including the role of traditional leaders. Clearly this is not an issue which can be resolved overnight, but the initiative is warmly welcomed and will go a long way towards creating favourable conditions for the elections.
It must be stressed very strongly however that the chiefs are not running the elections and have no control over presiding officers and other elections staff. There are numerous safeguards built into the Election Regulations and the process to ensure that the elections are properly conducted and managed without any bias or influence. The Regulations have in fact been amended to tighten some of the control measures, for instance to ensure that the security forces witness all aspects of the process, including accounting for and securing the ballot boxes and papers, before, during and after the poll and from polling stations to the counting centres. A member of the security forces will countersign the record of the number of ballot boxes sealed and transported for counting at each polling station. Furthermore, candidates and parties and their agents and messengers will be there to make sure that there is fairplay. Provision has also been made for independent observers to be authorised by returning officers to be at the polling stations. In fact, it will fortunately be very difficult if not impossible, for any presiding officer to influence the election result in any way, or for unauthorised people to try to influence elections staff.
Excellent progress has been made in identifying and addressing problems and irregularities with voters' rolls, with multi-party co-operation and making use of the best technologies available. The security situation is also looking very good, and we would like to thank the security forces for increasing their capacity and for doing a good job, as well as political leaders for generally, but unfortunately not always, avoiding inflammatory public statements, and the media for exercising very positive discretion. Unfortunately however, this is not always the case, with publicity sometimes being given to events and situations of the past which do not reflect the current joint approach of the parties to reduce tensions and promote peace, and make it possible for elections to take place successfully on 26 June.
The Presidential Task Group, and I personally, are feeling very bullish about the elections and believe that the parties and candidates, other community leaders, civil society and other observers, the election staff and security forces, and the voters of KwaZulu-Natal will make sure that next Wednesday's elections will be something that the province and the country can be proud of, something that many never throught possible.