IEC has a track record in hosting credible elections: Tlakula

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The former Electoral Commission chairperson Advocate Pansy Tlakula says the electoral body has an impressive reputation for hosting credible elections in South Africa. She spoke to SABC News as the country celebrates 30 years of democracy.

Advocate Tlakula says the Electoral Commission’s reputation is recognised internationally.

“Let’s go back to 1994, the first democratic elections. There was no voters’ roll. People could vote wherever they wanted and that was a nightmare from the management perspective and look at where we are today. The IEC is revered as one of the very good elections management, not only on the African continent and also globally.”

Tlakula says checks and balances are in place to ensure the prevention of the rigging of elections. Her statement comes after the Democratic Alliance (DA) wrote to the foreign ministers of the G7 countries, the European Union and four Nordic states, requesting their help in monitoring the elections.

The DA said the elections could be under threat because the African National Congress (ANC) was likely to get below 50 percent votes nationally and could lose more provinces.

Advocate Tlakula says she’s confident that the May 29 elections will be credible.  “The IEC has very robust systems and the systems are not only robust they are also transparent. As I’m here I can say again that IEC will be able to manage free and fair election.”

Advocate Pansy Tlakula speaks to SABC News on the road to elections: