EFF leader Julius Malema says South Africa must move to electronic voting for the general and local government elections.
He briefed the media in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
He described the current voting system as outdated and easy to manipulate.
“The IEC [Independent Electoral Commission] must make things smooth and user-friendly so that that is what discourages the youth of South Africa,” he said.
Malema said the IEC must also come up with new innovations, such as making their website accessible even when users do not have data.
“Make life easy for the youth if you want to attract the youth to come and vote, [but] they do not do that. Technology has become so advanced, so extremely advanced,” he said.
Malema says the ANC opposes digitising the voting system because it would be out of power if such an innovation were implemented.
“They know if they do that, the ANC will be out of power in less than a second, they will be out completely, they do not do it because they are protecting the status quo, which operates and wins through thuggery and stealing,” he said.
ALSO READ: Warning to warring Joburg leaders from within the ANC
Vigilant for the next elections
Malema said that for the coming local government elections, his party will take extra steps to ensure that it is not robbed of its votes.
“We are investing in ensuring that every vote of the EFF is accounted for; if it means we look at EFF people at the voting station and we doubt that they have the capacity engage a presiding officer, we will rather employ people outside the EFF who come from the purposes of employment and monitoring EFF results.
“The EFF vote, I can tell you without thinking twice, is stolen, it gets stolen,” he said.
EFF votes ‘stolen’
Malema said he had witnessed signs in previous elections that his party’s votes had been tampered with.
“If they can steal from me in my voting district, imagine what they can do in a voting station in Giyani…it will be worse every EFF vote will be counted ANC,” he said.
Malema is not the first politician to raise concerns about alleged vote rigging during elections; the MK party has also raised similar concerns, but no tangible evidence has been provided to support their claims.
The IEC has expressed concern about voter apathy, especially among young people. Some believe an electronic voting system could attract young people and ensure an outright winner, unlike the last general election, which produced a coalition arrangement.
NOW READ: ‘No one will remove me’: Malema’s plan if he gets jail time
About the Author
