Group who tried to gain access to IEC warehouse 'followed truck to facility'

The group of men who tried to forcefully gain entry to an Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) warehouse where ballot boxes were stored had earlier interfered with the handling of the boxes and followed the truck carrying the materials to its destination.

This is according to the IEC and comes after police confirmed the incident ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa's inauguration in Pretoria.

National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe on Wednesday morning said a case of intimidation was opened after 15 suspects tried to storm the warehouse in Booysens, Gauteng on Tuesday evening.

“They presented themselves in five cars and demanded entry into the warehouse. They said they wanted access to ballots to check if they had been counted. We have registered a case of intimidation,” she said.

“We are studying the footage and evidence to check who these people are affiliated with and if they belong to a political party.”

The IEC said the incident took place at its Gauteng warehouse.

“As a matter of course the IEC expands its footprint of storage sites ahead of elections to ensure storage of electoral supplies as close as possible to points of use,” the IEC said.

“After the conclusion of the elections, the local storage sites are rationalised and material is rolled back for storage and safekeeping at a centralised facility.

“During the roll-back of material from a local storage site in the inner-city in Johannesburg, a group of people interfered with the handling of materials and subsequently followed a truck used to transport the material back to the provincial warehouse.

“On arrival at the warehouse the group attempted to forcefully gain unauthorised entry to the warehouse.”

No arrests have been made yet.

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