IEC stops party campaigning in Hanover Park

Political parties campaigning outside the Lansport Civic Centre and the Hanover Park Civic Centre have been warned not to campaign

Cape Town - Political parties campaigning outside the Lansport Civic Centre and the Hanover Park Civic Centre have been warned not to campaign and hand voters political paraphernalia before they have cast their ballots.

ANC, DA and IPF members set up stations just outside of the voting stations on Wednesday and were told to stop campaigning by the presiding officers appointed by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

According to election rules, campaigning may not happen on the day of the vote.

There was a heavy police presence in Hanover Park as people made their way to cast their vote in the local elections.

The City of Cape Town’s metro police and the SA Police Service kept a vigilant eye for any gang violence or political interference that may compromise the day.

At the Hanover Park Civic Centre, more than 936 people out of the 3 461 who were registered to vote, cast their ballots before 10am.

The Lansport Civic Centre saw more than 500 people out of more than 2 000 people make their mark before 9.30am.

Ward 47 councillor Antonio van der Rheede said some of the main challenges in his ward were safety, backyard dwellings and crime.

“One of the things the City has done is implementing neighbourhood safety officers. Hanover Park has two. We have a dedicated law enforcement unit that is part of the mayoral urban regeneration project. Yesterday we launched a CCTV camera campaign for Hanover Park and Manenberg and we have invested in a ceasefire programme,” he said.

.@TheCapeArgus @IOL We speak to Ward 47 counsellor Antonio van de Rheede about #GangViolence #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/UdC9mxavDJ

— Gadeeja Abbas (@Gadeeja_Abbas) August 3, 2016

Manenberg and Hanover Park have experienced a spike in gang violence in recent months. In the latest incident last month, two people were shot and five injured, including an eight-year old girl.

Voter Daphne Koopman, 68, said that she wanted to see an end to the “senseless violence” in the area.

“That is why I chose to vote for the person I felt best suited to help stop the killing of innocent people. It is a sad thing when you have to bury your own children. This is not what we fought for when we struggled for freedom and fought alongside others who saw the same vision.”

gadeeja.abbas@inl.co.za

Elections Bureau