MIDRAND - Unused, unmarked ballot papers and ballot validation stamps have been stolen from a voting station in Ward 2, eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) confirmed the incident during a media briefing on Wednesday, as voters headed to the polls in the local government elections.
IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Shiburi said the theft had been reported to the police.
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Staff members stationed at the affected voting station have also been relieved of their duties over alleged dereliction of duty.
Shiburi said measures had been put in place to identify the stolen ballot papers should they surface at any of the voting stations in the ward.
“There are 20 voting stations in that ward. We have put in measures to ensure that should those ballots surface at any of those voting stations, we will be able to identify them,” Shiburi said.