EFF is ‘up to any challenge’ in Mpumalanga by-elections

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UP TO THE TASK: The EFF say they are ready for the 9 November by-elections. PICTURE: Supplied

The Economic Freedom Fighters are very much prepared for any challenge in this week’s by-elections, an organiser said.

“We are very much prepared. As I’m talking to you, we’ve been on the ground and people are showing they will vote for us and we will be monitoring each and every step of IEC officials,” provincial organiser Cyril Chuene  said on Monday night.

He said the reason for monitoring both Delmas and Mayflower’s by-elections will be to make sure that votes are not rigged.

“We have learnt lessons on the 3 August 2016 local government elections and our party agents are properly trained this time to see those irregularities.

“In the August elections we saw boxes were brought to the stations opened and you didn’t know what was put in and what was taken out.

“We will ensure that when they leave the stations they are sealed and we have the seal number and everything.

“Even the result slips, we have experienced result slips that were cheated and so on and so forth, so we are up to any challenge” said Chuene.

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Chuene is deployed by the party to monitor Mayflower by-elections while provincial chairman Collen Sedibe is deployed in Delmas.

The IEC declared two Mpumalanga ward councillor posts vacant after the death of councillor candidate December Khumalo in Gert Sibande’s Mayflower and the forced resignation of Maria Sepenyane in Delmas’ Nkangala.

Both Khumalo and Sepenyane were ANC councillor candidates.

“These are the first two wards that will be won by the EFF in Mpumalanga,” added Chuene after observing “the huge support many people have given us in these areas.

The by-elections is on 9 December 2016 but voting will commence on 8 November with special votes, which Chuene said they were much alert because “that’s where they rig votes”.

“Before the actual voting day comes, you find that they already had a large number people who voted for them mysteriously, so we have transport this time to ensure we monitor the special votes,” he said.

(edited by MLM)

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