Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen has called on law enforcement authorities to severely deal with electoral fraud.
This follows Sunday's arrest of a KZN presiding officer at a voting station in Ward 93's Kusakusa Primary School, in uMbumbulu area, west of Durban.
“If anyone has been involved in electoral fraud, they need to be dealt with severely. (Voting) is an expression of the people's will and it cannot be subverted by people who are desperately trying to cling to power, through means other than the democratic ballot box,” he said.
Steenhuisen was speaking at the Northwood Boys High School voting station, in Durban.
Steenhuisen is a resident and former councillor of eThekwini's Ward 36, which encompasses the suburban areas of Durban North.
While optimistic about the DA's chances in eThekwini, Steenhuisen said there is a good chance than Howick's Umgeni Municipality could be the first DA-controlled council in KZN.
“Whatever the outcome of today, the cause endures, the hope never dies. If we can bring our policies to bear at a national government level, that's the work we will be doing and I will certainly be doing till the day I die,” he said.
Shontel de Boer, DA's Durban North councillor candidate who is running for re-election, said she was encouraged by the strong turnout.
Ward 36 is a DA stronghold.
“Our big challenge are illegal businesses operating outside the business zone. We in the process of forming a committee to deal with that because we want to take it through the legal route,” she said.
