“Having regard to the election results and information subsequently available, I have reason to be concerned that my vote may not have been properly recorded, included or counted in the final results declared for the relevant voting station,” Zelt Marais stated in a sworn affidavit.
Marais opened a case of election fraud against the Independent Electoral Commission at Claremont police station on Friday night. The complaint centers on the vote counting process in Cape Town’s Ward 60 at Savio Hall in Lansdowne, where Marais cast his ballot on Wednesday.
Having previously led the Western Province Rugby Football Union and currently facing a 10-year ban from all rugby activities issued by SA Rugby for breaking its code of conduct, Marais raised concerns about how independent ward candidate Mogamat Rashard Davids wound up with zero votes despite Marais casting his personal ballot for him. Official tally sheets bearing the signature of counting officer June Franco display a line drawn through the name of Davids alongside a zero entered in his vote total space.
Did You Know? Official count forms from Savio Hall in Lansdowne show a line through independent candidate Mogamat Rashard Davids’ name and a zero in the box for his vote tally, despite a voter swearing he cast a ballot for him.
Police open case docket for further investigation
Police confirmed that a case docket has been opened and will be transferred for further investigation. Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel FC van Wyk stated that the case docket will go to Lansdowne police station. Meanwhile, the IEC live results dashboard showed that with 89% of the voting district counted, the Democratic Alliance led at Savio Hall with 1,434 votes, securing 53.89% of the tally. Al Jama-ah followed with 467 votes at 17.55%, GOOD recorded 278 votes at 10.45%, and the African National Congress received 7.67% of the counted total.
In his affidavit, Marais explained that he could not independently verify whether his vote was omitted or incorrectly recorded without access to official records. He formally asked the commission to investigate how votes were cast and counted at Savio Hall, compare issued ballot papers against those placed in ballot boxes, and check original result slips alongside reconciliation records. He also requested that the commission preserve all voting station records and election materials until the complaint is resolved.
Truth and Solidarity Movement Demands Western Cape Recount
The Truth and Solidarity Movement, known as TRUTH, joined the dispute by demanding an immediate recount across the Western Cape. Party leader Mehmet Vefa Dag stated that the organization could no longer trust the election results following the incident at Savio Hall. Dag lodged a formal objection with provincial and national IEC officials, demanding that the recount take place under the party’s observation.
“Every South African voter has the right to have their vote counted correctly,” Dag stated in the objection, adding that election results must be checked before being accepted as final. Dag called on the electoral commission to verify whether electronic system results matched the original signed result slips from voting and counting stations. “An election cannot enjoy public confidence simply because results have been announced,” Dag noted, emphasizing that results must be capable of independent verification.
Candidate receives zero votes in contested count
Where was the election fraud case opened?
The case was opened against the IEC at Claremont police station on Friday night by Zelt Marais over the counting of votes in Cape Town’s Ward 60.
Which candidate received zero votes according to the official count forms?
Independent ward candidate Mogamat Rashard Davids was recorded as receiving zero votes, with a line through his name on the official count forms signed by counting officer June Franco at Savio Hall in Lansdowne.
What action did the Truth and Solidarity Movement take in response?
TRUTH leader Mehmet Vefa Dag lodged a formal objection with provincial and national IEC officials, demanding an immediate recount across the Western Cape under the party’s observation.
How will the electoral commission respond to the preserved voting station records and the demand for a provincial recount?