Bontleng voter-traffickers use false Partial address
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday April 11, 2014 16:12
At least 88 people indicated that they live at the same plot in Partial when they registered to vote in Bontleng, in another shocking case of voter-trafficking ahead of the general elections in October. The identity of the political party or candidate behind the trafficking is presently unclear. Yesterday, a Mmegi news crew found only six people staying at the plot cited by the 88 voters in Partial. The residents said they did not know any of the names on the voters’ list from Bontleng. Tsala Mogale, the daughter of the owner of the plot said only one person in their home had registered to vote. “We do not know all the people on this list and they are not staying here. It is best I refer you to the owner of this house,” she said.
Her mother, Tebelelo Mogale, concurred that none of the people on the list were staying at the plot. She had no clue how the people knew her plot number.
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) spokesperson, Osupile Maroba, could not immediately confirm the incident but said voter- trafficking was giving them sleepless nights.
He said the IEC charges P10 per person named in a voter-trafficking list to investigate the crime. The amount is paid by the complainant. “If one brings names of trafficked voters, they should know that they are supposed to pay P10 per head for IEC to carry out investigations,” he explained. “It is a requirement of the Electoral Act and the money will be returned if it is confirmed that the person named is guilty of voter-trafficking.”
Maroba said anyone found guilty of voter trafficking is liable to a fine of between P200 and P1,000 and would also be struck off the voters’ roll. The culprit will not be allowed to vote for five years. Efforts to get a reaction from political parties was unsuccessful at the time of going to press.