NGCOBO, EASTERN CAPE — Law enforcement authorities have apprehended two women following an incident of IEC official impersonation at a local police station, where the suspects attempted to fraudulently acquire voting materials.
According to police, the suspects arrived at the Ngcobo Police Station in the early hours of Monday morning. They claimed to have been dispatched by the Presiding Officer to retrieve the electoral supplies.
The deception was quickly uncovered when the actual Presiding Officer, who was already waiting in the station’s queue, confirmed he had not authorized any representatives to collect the items on his behalf. Authorities identified the suspects before they could exit the premises and successfully confiscated the voting material.
The arrests were finalized on Tuesday. The suspects are currently being processed under Section 68(d) of the Municipal Electoral Act 27/2000, which specifically criminalizes the impersonation of an Electoral Commission official.
Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Vuyisile Ncata, addressed the severity of the offense and the police response.
“We will not tolerate any interference with the electoral process. The arrest of the two suspects demonstrates our commitment to upholding the integrity of the elections. Anyone who impersonates an IEC official will face the full might of the law,” Lieutenant General Ncata stated.
