ISITHUNZI senhlangano yokhetho kuleli i-IEC sifana neqanda elidinga ukuphathwa ngobukhulu ubunono okungathi uma lifa, kube kuphelile. Siyahlonishwa isithunzi se-IEC futhi kuyohlala kunjalo kodwa nonyaka isimo sibucayi kakhulu ngenxa yokhetho oluzayo.
Ukhetho lwangoMeyi 29, lufana nomdlalo womkhumulajezi ngoba wonke amehlo azobe ethe njo ngenxa yesasasa elikhona. I-IEC ifana nonompempe ophethe umdlalo wamanqamu wezinkunzi okukade kwasa zithibelene. Akukwazi ukuthi unompempe angathembeki emdlaweni ngoba kusuka umsindo.
I-ANC yiyona esemandleni okwamanje selokhu yangena ngo-1994, emva kokukhipha uhulumeni wobandlululo. Ukwehla kokwesekwa kweqembu kancane kancane, sekwenze kwanemibono yokuthi ingase ihluleke wukunqoba ukhetho. Umbono oqhutshwa ngamanye amaqembu.
Kuyaziwa ezweni lonke ukuthi kuzoshiyana ukwenza phakathi kwamaqembu okhethweni olungoMeyi 29 nonyaka, lapho kuyogezelwana khona. Ukhetho lwezwe lubalulekile ngoba lunikeza abantu ithuba lokukhetha uhulumeni abamfunayo.
Kuleli uhulumeni ubekelwa iminyaka emihlanu, emuva kwalokho kubuyelwe okhethweni kunikwe abantu ithuba lokukhetha kabusha.
Iyini inhlangano yokhetho i-IEC ?
I-Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), yinhlangano yokhetho ezimele eNingizimu Afrika, eyasungulwa ngo-Okthoba 17, 1996. Izwe laliqeda ukuphuma kuhulumeni wobandlululo lingena kuhulumeni wentando yeningi.
Umsebenzi wayo wukusingatha ukhetho olukhululekile, nolungachemile esigabeni sikazwelonke, izifundazwe nokomasipala emazingeni aphansi.
I-IEC ingena ngaphansi kohlu lwezikhungo ezibizwa ngeChapter 9, ezinjengehhovisi loMvikeli woMphakathi, neSouth African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). Izikhungo zinomsebenzi omkhulu futhi onzima wokuhlonipha imigomo yomthethosisekelo wentando yeningi.
I-IEC ivamile ukuthi uma yenza umsebenzi wayo kube khona abayikhomba ngeminwe uma bengenelisekile ngemiphumela yokhetho.
Okwenza ukuthi i-IEC ibe wundabamlonyeni kulokhu wukuthi sekukhona ukukhuluma okwandile okuthi kufanele ibhekwe ingakhwabanisi amavoti ilekelele inhlangano ebusayo kuleli. I-DA ibhale incwadi icela usizo e-USA, ithi kayithembi ukuthi ukhetho luzosingathwa ngendlela efanele. Yacela ukuthi i-USA ithumele izingqapheli ezizibheka ukuthi konke kuhamba okhethweni.
Ngaphandle kwalokho kukhona amaqembu akhala ngokuthi othisha abaqashiwe ukuthi bavotise bangamalungu enyunyana iSadtu, edlelana ne-ANC. Bathi lokho kuzokwenza kungethembeki ukuthi bazokwenza umsebenzi ngokujutshwa yi-IEC, ngobuqotho futhi bangachemi.
Okunye okucishe kwathunaza isithunzi se-IEC, wukuthi ingene ehlazweni ngemva kokuputshuka kohlu lwamagama abantu abajutshwa ngamaqembu ukuthi babe ngamalungu ePhalamende, emuva kokhetho. Uhlu lwamalungu amaqembu belungakamenyezelwa ngokusemthethweni kodwa kube nesigangi ngaphakathi kwi-IEC.
Indlela i-IEC esingathe ngayo udaba ikhombise ubuqotho nobuyoninco ngoba ilusukumele ngokushesha ngoba iyakuqonda ukuthi isithunzi sayo siyikho konke ngakho kufanele isivikele. Isikhulu se-IEC uMnuz Sy Mamabolo, sithe benze uphenyo oluveze ukuthi umkhuba usekhaya.
“Imiphumela yophenyo lwethu lokuqala ikhomba ukuthi kukhona omunye wabasebenzi oputshuze uhlu esebenzisa amakhompyutha ethu. Uqede ukwenza lokhu wase elucima uhlu akade eluthumela. Umsebenzi usezobhekana nezinyathelo zokuqondiswa ubugwegwe ngaphakathi,’’ kusho uMamabolo.
Kufana nokuthi umsebenzi we-IEC ogile umkhuba uphushele inhlangano esizibeni esinengwenya ngoba isikhathi okwenzeke ngaso lokhu sibucayi. Kubikwe ukuthi umsebenzi we-IEC ugcine exoshiwe emuva kokulahlwa yicala lokwephula umthetho.
Esinye isikhulu se-IEC, uNksz Akhtari Henning phambilini sikhale ngabantu abasola i-IEC ngokukhwabanisa ekubeni benganabo ubufakazi.
“Izinsolo ezingamampunge lezi futhi siyacela ukuthi uma abantu benza izinsolo basisize phela ngobufakazi bese siyaphenya. Thina simile ekutheni sinikwe umsebenzi wokusingatha ukhetho ngokuzimela ngaphandle kokuchema,’’ kuchaza uNksz Akhtari.
Akasalanga ngaphandle uMengameli uMnuz Cyril Ramaphosa, usigxekile isenzo sokuputshuzwa kohlu lwenhlangano yakhe wathi kuyadumaza futhi kuthunaza umsebenzi we-IEC.
“Kuyishwa ukuthi kube khona umuntu omagange ohlulekayo nokuzibamba ojahe ukukhipha uhlu lwe-ANC. Kucekela phansi isithunzi se-IEC lokhu ekubeni kuyisikhungo esisethembayo futhi okufanele sisivikele ngayo yonke indlela,’’ kuphawula uRamaphosa.
Lugadwa ngeso lokhozi ukhetho ngoba i-IEC iqeqesha abasebenzi bayo abalusingathayo. Kuba nabamele amaqembu ezikhungweni abagada ukuthi konke kuhamba kahle yini. Kuba khona izingqapheli zokhetho ezivela kwamanye amazwe, ezisuke zizogada ukhetho.
Ngaphezu kwalokho kuba khona abezokuphepha ezikhungweni abasuke bezoqinisekisa ukuthi konke kuhamba ngendlela efanele. Kungumthwalo wabo bonke abantu bakuleli ukuthi bavikele isithunzi sokhetho ne-IEC ngoba kungenjalo kungaba nomonakalo omkhulu.
Kwamanye amazwe iyasuka impi kuliwe, kume kwasani ezweni kubangwa indaba yokhetho abantu bekhala ngokukhwabaniswa kwemiphumela. Kwamanye ukhetho luze luqalwe phansi ngenxa yokuthi kusuke kukhona abanganelisekile.