Ace Magashule, the leader of the African Congress for Transformation (ACT) and former ANC Secretary General, has raised serious allegations regarding the recent elections. Magashule has claimed that votes may have been rigged, leading to discrepancies in the results.
On Friday evening, Magashule confirmed that his party had lodged an objection with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
The objection claims that ballot boxes were tampered with, leading to what Magashule believes is an inaccurate reflection of ACT’s electoral support. Despite making it onto regional and provincial ballots, the newly registered party failed to meet the requirements to run for the national assembly.
Arriving at the national results centre, Magashule expressed his dissatisfaction with the numbers displayed on the IEC’s leaderboard.
With nearly 97% of voting districts counted, the party currently holds just over 14,000 votes in the Free State. Magashule insists that these numbers do not accurately represent the political party’s support.
He cited a specific incident where eight members of one family, who are hardcore ACT supporters, showed zero votes in the results, despite having voted.
Ace Magashule just arrived, bumps into IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo says the results are “completely rigged” pic.twitter.com/JwLR7WfALT
— Matshidiso Madia (@tshidi_lee) May 31, 2024
Magashule, who is also a former Free State premier under the ANC, had high expectations for his political party in the province. Many believed that his prominence and experience would help ACT make significant inroads.
The current allegations and the lodged objection will likely have substantial implications for both the party and the broader political landscape in South Africa.
 and former ANC Secretary General, has accused the recent South African elections of vote rigging.){kind=link}