False claims of election rigging are on the uptick across the world, from Nigeria and Brazil to Slovakia and, notoriously, the United States. These claims undermine democracy and people’s faith in their governments.
MARY ALEXANDER • 18 JUNE 2024
A video of ballot boxes piled high in a series of storerooms has been circulating on social media since 3 June 2024 with the claim that “uncounted” votes from South Africa’s recent elections are inside.*
The boxes carry the logo of the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
“Uncounted sealed boxes discovered stored away,” a typical caption reads. “IEC, we didn’t stand in long queues for our votes to be hidden.” At one point the videographer demonstrates that each box is held closed with a cable tie.
South Africa’s national and provincial elections took place on 29 May, with a 58.6% voter turnout. The results were announced on 2 June. The viral video appeared the next day.
The election results were historic. The African National Congress lost the majority it had held since 1994, garnering only 40.2% of the national vote. The Democratic Alliance (DA) won 21.8% and the newcomer uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) – headed by former president Jacob Zuma – 14.6%.
The DA was re-elected to the government of the Western Cape province. In KwaZulu-Natal, the MK Party won 45.6% of the provincial vote.
Some social media users claim the “hidden” boxes contain votes cast in the Western Cape. Others say they affected the MK Party’s results in KwaZulu-Natal.
Variations on the claim include:
- THIS IS THE “FRAUD” AND “CORRUPTION” YOUR OFFICIALS HAVE DONE IN KZN…THEY STOLE PEOPLE’S VOTE!!!
- Western Cape Election has been rigged by Zionists… We don’t recognize Alan Winde as Western Cape Premier
- IEC exposed for not counting hundreds of ballot boxes
- MK Party’s 2/3rd majority is locked up in here!
In mid-June the MK Party filed an application with the electoral court to have the results of the election nullified, claiming it was not “free and fair”. Days before, the constitutional court dismissed the party’s application to prevent the first sitting of parliament.
But does the video really show sealed and hidden ballot boxes full of votes the IEC did not count?
‘In the absence of evidence, do not spread false information’
In the first few seconds of the video you can see the province, municipal code and voting district (VD) number set out in the form printed on IEC ballot boxes.
These handwritten details reveal that the votes inside were cast in KwaZulu-Natal, not the Western Cape.
We were also able to discern two VD numbers: 43950898 and 4395084, both in the Msunduzi municipality of KwaZulu-Natal (municipal code KZN 225).
We looked up the two districts’ national voting data on the IEC’s 2024 results portal. In both a clear majority of votes went to the MK Party (62% in the first district and 72% in the second). For Msunduzi as a whole, the MK Party won 52.6% of the vote.
The video is clearly not proof that the IEC “rigged” results in the Western Cape – the votes were cast in KwaZulu-Natal. And if it shows an attempt to “lock up” votes for the MK Party, the attempt wasn’t effective.
On the day the claim appeared online, the IEC took to X/Twitter to dismiss it. Resealed ballot boxes, the commission said, had by law to be retained for six months. And the boxes weren’t “hidden”: they were stored in an official IEC warehouse.
It’s worth quoting the IEC’s response in full:
This video shows election materials stored and awaiting roll-back from voting districts to the IEC provincial warehouse. This includes counted ballots, which are sealed inside ballot boxes, voter management devices and other security and bulk materials. By law, all ballots from an election must be retained for a period of six months. Note that, after counting, voting station diaries and results slips are signed off by all party agents present before the results are uploaded. In the absence of any evidence to substantiate your claims, do not spread false information.
This video shows election materials stored and awaiting roll-back from voting districts to the IEC provincial warehouse. This includes counted ballots, which are sealed inside ballot boxes, voter management devices and other security and bulk materials. By law, all ballots from…
— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) June 3, 2024
False claims of election rigging are on the uptick across the world, from Nigeria and Brazil to Slovakia and, notoriously, the United States. These claims undermine democracy and people’s faith in their governments.
There is no evidence that the video shows “hidden” boxes full of “uncounted” votes from South Africa’s pivotal 2024 elections.
* Some Facebook and Instagram users may have deleted their posts after Meta’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Program rated their claims as untrue.
Published by Africa Check on 21 June 2024