The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has confirmed that unused ballot papers and election materials were allegedly stolen at a voting station in KwaZulu-Natal during the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The incident reportedly happened overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, 4 November, as South Africans headed to the polls.

BALLOT PAPERS AND ELECTION MATERIALS STOLEN IN KZN

The IEC said it received a report of the theft of unused ballot papers and a stamp at Mnyameni Secondary School in Ward 2, eThekwini.

“Unused ballots and election security materials, including the certified voters’ roll, were reported stolen at the voting station overnight.

“The Commission can confirm that the voting station had sufficient materials to continue operations, except for the voters’ roll, which needed to be reprinted for the voting station. By plan, we do issue a new security pack and ballot papers specifically for Election Day,” KZN Electoral Officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said.

POLICE INVESTIGATE THEFT OF VOTING MATERIALS

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that police had opened a burglary case after voting materials belonging to the IEC were reportedly stolen from a voting station in Hillcrest between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Netshiunda said it was reported that the IEC’s presiding officer had gone to the school, which was being used as a voting station, on Tuesday evening and placed sensitive materials, including ink, the voters’ roll and ballot papers, inside an unlocked guardhouse.

“The presiding officer reportedly locked the school gate and left. According to information, there was a group of about ten people who could see what the official was doing inside the guardhouse. The school does not have a security guard overnight.

“When the presiding officer arrived at the school on Wednesday morning, she noticed that the gate of the school was open and there were people standing outside the school gate. When she proceeded to the guardhouse, she found that ballot papers and other IEC materials had been stolen. The matter was then reported to the police,” Netshiunda explained.

Netshiunda said police investigations would also seek to establish why ballot papers were transported to a voting station the night before the elections without a police escort.

“Part of police’s responsibilities during the elections is to escort presiding officers with sensitive materials from warehouses to voting stations and back without fail, and the movement of sensitive material is done on the day of the elections,” he added.