Polling Station Riot and Fresh Accusations of Vote-Rigging Reported at Swaziland Election

More accusations of vote-rigging and illegal practice during the first round of Swaziland’s election are emerging with calls for some votes to be re-run.

The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has come under attack for ignoring complaints.

One newspaper in Swaziland (recently renamed Eswatini by the kingdom’s absolute ruler King Mswati III) reported ‘riots’ at one polling station.

There are claims that at the Ezikhotheni chiefdom in the Shiselweni 1 constituency candidates brought strangers to vote. EBC polling officials were notified but did nothing about it, the Swazi Observer reported on Thursday (30 August 2018).

The outgoing member of parliament for the area Michael Sigodvo Nxumalo, who was standing for election again but lost, told the Observer unknown people in the community being were ‘smuggled’ into the polling centre.

‘EBC officials did not listen to our concerns. we did not want the counting of the votes to proceed without first knowing if all those that voted were from Ezikhotheni.’

The Observer added, ‘Nxumalo claimed that certain vehicles brought textile workers to vote when they were known to be from other areas.’

The Observer also reported (30 August 2018) that after ‘riots at the Mshingishingini polling station due to the lack of electricity, election nominees have called for fresh elections to be conducted’.

Candidates have protested that rules ‘stipulated by the EBC rule book state that a riot had the power to disturb an election, thus distort the eventual election results,’ it added.

The Observer said the riot lasted an hour and was caused ‘by people who wanted to vote illegally after voting had concluded’.

An unnamed source told the Observer, ‘The rioting individuals are the people who entered the polling station after 19.00 hours as they took advantage that there was no electricity at the voting centre. They broke down the polling station gate and forced themselves in and were added as though they had queued, The EBC officers could not stop the crowd.’

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Khulani Mamba confirmed the riots at the Mshingishingini polling station, the Observer added.

Candidates at Mvembili claimed the winner of the constituency executive (Bucopho) election was an imposter. They said Martin Magagula was not from the Northern Hhohho area but Dvokolwako, and therefore he stole the election victory. They want him stripped of his victory.

Meanwhile, Ayanda Shiba, aged 22, was fined E1,000 by the Siteki magistrate after he admitted trying to vote twice using two different voting cards at Good Shepherd polling station, at Makhewu in Siteki.

There have been a number of claims of vote-rigging and malpractice emerging in the days following the election.

Most presiding officers at polling stations did not know how to seal ballot boxes properly, the Coordinating Assembly of NGOs (CANGO) said in a report on the conduct of the election.

At Kwaluseni about 16 candidates and their agents walked out of the counting in protest at cheating and called for the election in the constituency to be cancelled.

EBC Commissioner Ncumbi Maziya said many complaints had been received from across the kingdom, including Ezulwini, Lobamba Lomdzala, Kwaluseni and Mpolonjeni in the Lubombo region.

Swaziland’s elections are recognised outside the kingdom to be undemocratic. Political parties are banned from taking part and the King appoints the Prime Minister and government ministers.

See also

Fears Grow of Vote-Rigging and Malpractice in Swaziland Election. Ballot Boxes Not Properly Sealed

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/08/fears-grow-of-vote-rigging-and.html

Independent Election Observers in Swaziland Barred From Some Polling Stations, Told to Sign Secrecy Forms

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/08/independent-election-observers-in.html

First Round of Swaziland Election Marred by Inefficiency and Fear of Vote-Rigging

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/08/first-round-of-swaziland-election.html

Chaos and Violence Reported Across Swaziland as Voters go to the Polls

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/08/chaos-and-violence-reported-across.html

Organised Certainty, Why elections in Swaziland are not democratic

https://www.scribd.com/document/384752084/Organised-Certainty-Why-Elections-in-Swaziland-Are-Not-Democratic

Fears Grow of Vote-Rigging and Malpractice in Swaziland Election. Ballot Boxes Not Properly Sealed

Fears of vote rigging during the first round of the Swaziland election are growing. The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) received complaints about malpractice from across the kingdom. 

Most presiding officers at polling stations did not know how to seal ballot boxes properly, a group of official election observers reported.

At Kwaluseni about 16 candidates and their agents walked out of the counting in protest at cheating and called for the election in the constituency to be cancelled.

The Swazi Observer reported (29 August 2018) there were complaints that ballot papers were tightly interlocked and could not be easily removed from ballot boxes. Candidates questioned how a thick package of papers could have been in the box when it was half empty.

The Observer reported, ‘The package was two ballot papers interlocked at right angles with several other papers neatly tucked in them.’

Counting was stopped for several hours with three boxes out of seven uncounted. It was later completed despite protests.

There were also allegations at Kwaluseni that during the voting polling station officers had told people who to vote for.

Voters in Swaziland (recently renamed Eswatini by the kingdom’s absolute monarch King Mswati III) went to the polls in the first round of national and community elections on Saturday (25 August 2018). Political parties are banned from taking part and the King appoints the Prime Minister and government ministers.

Candidates and voters from the Buka Chiefdom and Lobamba Lomdzala marched on the offices of the EBC calling for the votes in their areas to be recounted.

At Buka they said the number of votes cast did not tally with the number of registered voters and some rejected ballot papers were counted, according to the Swazi Observer. They also said some ballot boxes were late arriving at the count after voting ended at Buka.

Voters from Lobamba Lomdzala told the newspaper they suspected ‘foul play’ at the election. The EBC asked them to detail complaints in writing.

EBC Commissioner Ncumbi Maziya said many complaints had been received from across the kingdom. ‘We have received complaints from Ezulwini, Lobamba Lomdzala, Kwaluseni and some from Mpolonjeni in the Lubombo region,’ the Observer quoted Maziya saying.

The Observer added, ‘He said the commission would follow the proper channels in addressing the complaints by the electorate.

‘“I also advised them to go to the court if need be so that their concerns could be addressed expeditiously.”’

A report on the election process from the Eswatini Elections Support Network which is overseen by the Coordinating Assembly of NGOs (CANGO) which visited about 170 polling stations on the day said, ‘Most presiding officers struggled to seal ballot boxes and this is a serious concern that needs urgent attention. Poor seals allow for the ballot boxes to be manipulated and damage the credibility of the results. CANGO would like to encourage EBC to seriously invest in an urgent training for all presiding officers to be taught how to seal ballot boxes properly.’

Members of the Operational Support Service Unit (OSSU), the paramilitary police wing, were called to Nkhaba Old Inkhundla polling station and Matsanjeni South ‘to calm the situation where voters blocked the exit of electoral officials who were transporting ballot papers to a central command place where counting could take place’, CANGO reported. 

See also

Independent Election Observers in Swaziland Barred From Some Polling Stations, Told to Sign Secrecy Forms

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/08/independent-election-observers-in.html

First Round of Swaziland Election Marred by Inefficiency and Fear of Vote-Rigging

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/08/first-round-of-swaziland-election.html

 

Chaos and Violence Reported Across Swaziland as Voters go to the Polls

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/08/chaos-and-violence-reported-across.html

Organised Certainty, Why elections in Swaziland are not democratic

https://www.scribd.com/document/384752084/Organised-Certainty-Why-Elections-in-Swaziland-Are-Not-Democratic