Statement by Bantu Holomisa, President of the United Democratic Movement

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has noted allegations, supported by video recordings, of voting materials and ballot papers being delivered under less-than-ideal circumstances to distribution points in KwaZulu-Natal.

We are also aware of another case where voting materials and ballot papers were delivered to a private home in Mpumalanga.

This situation does not bode well for the reputation of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). More importantly, it casts serious doubt on the freedom and fairness of the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.

It is critical that the IEC provides political parties with information on the number of special votes registered per VD and the number of ballot papers issued per VD.

The UDM furthermore demands that special votes be counted and tallied separately from the bulk of the ballot papers. This step is crucial to ensure that there is no vote rigging by desperate political players. By doing so, we can safeguard the democratic process and maintain trust in our electoral system.