The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has warned of possible post-election violence if the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) does not address what the party describes as persistent failures and irregularities in the electoral process.
The party raised these concerns during a weekend workshop in Boksburg, held as part of preparations for the upcoming local government elections. The workshop was attended by representatives from, among others, the IEC and Statistics South Africa.
EFF Deputy President Godrich Gardee questioned the integrity of past election results, warning that unresolved issues could escalate tensions and potentially lead to violence if corrective measures are not implemented.
Gardee cited voting patterns from previous elections as evidence of what the party believes may be electoral manipulation.
“In Limpopo, in the same election, on the same day and in the same year, the EFF received about 500,000 votes on the national ballot, 475,000 votes on the regional ballot, but only 25,000 votes on the provincial ballot,” Gardee said.
“Have you ever asked yourself how that is possible? Are voters so educated, or so illiterate, to decide that they want the EFF nationally but not in Limpopo? Same province, same voting stations, same election. What explains such variations?” he asked.
Gardee said the discrepancy meant the EFF secured fewer seats in the Limpopo legislature despite strong national and regional support, questioning how voters could make such sharply divergent choices across ballots.
He alleged that this was one of several incidents suggesting that IEC officials may have tampered with election results.
“In other countries on our continent, post-election violence has often been caused by the conduct of electoral bodies,” Gardee said. “It nearly happened here in Alexandra in 2014 when the EFF contested elections for the first time. Fighters could not accept the results because there were clear indications of foul play.”
The EFF ultimately accepted the results of the 2024 general elections, while uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) challenged the outcome in court, alleging widespread electoral fraud.
The IEC has consistently denied any wrongdoing, although it has, on several occasions, revised results following complaints lodged by political parties.