Group of 20 tries to break into electoral commission warehouse

The police could not confirm media reports that the 20 to 40 people were members of the uMkhonto weSizwe party, which has rejected last month’s election results

Police are investigating a case of intimidation after 20 to 40 people attempted to break into an Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) warehouse in Johannesburg that contained ballot papers.

But national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe on Wednesday could not confirm media reports that the group were members of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, which has rejected the results of last month’s general elections.

“Investigations are still ongoing, and we are still trying to establish who these people are,” she said. “The motive for this is under investigation, we are still busy studying all evidence, taking down statements to establish who these people are and whether it is just criminal elements.”

In a statement, the IEC said the group had “interfered with the handling of materials and subsequently followed a truck used to transport the material back to the provincial warehouse and attempted to forcefully gain unauthorised entry”.

Jacob Zuma’s MK party went to the electoral court to seek an order declaring that the outcome of the 29 May elections be set aside, alleging serious irregularities.

The party won 14.5% of the national vote, which translates into 58 seats in the National Assembly, and saw it overtake the Economic Freedom Fighters as the third largest party in the country, but claims that the declared result and Cyril Ramaphosa’s re-election as president was tantamount to a coup.

Its approach to the electoral court came after the constitutional court last week dismissed the MK party’s application for direct access to challenge the result. The court said the application was meritless, noting that the party had failed to adduce any evidence to make a prima facie case that the election was not free and fair.

On Wednesday, the party boycotted Ramaphosa’s inauguration as president for a second five-year term.

MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said in a statement that the party would not participate in the inauguration of what it called “the puppet DA-sponsored president” — a reference to the government of national unity that Ramaphosa’s ANC has formed with the Democratic Alliance and other parties. This was after the ANC failed to get an outright majority in the general elections.

“We refuse join in the spitting of the graves of those who died for this freedom by attending the symbolic wedding ceremony of a house negro called Ramaphosa, with the slave master, Helen Zille,” Ndhlela said, referring to the DA federal council chairperson.