Payment dispute sees IEC officials locked out of Alberton voter registration venue
It's understood the community centre is run by three landlords but only one cashed in on the deal with the IEC to use the facility. The other two disgruntled landlords have since refused to handover the keys for building.
FILE: A voting station sign during voter registration. Picture: Eyewitness News
ALBERTON - IEC officials at the Red House voter registration venue in Alberton said they’d been locked out of the centre following a payment dispute with one of the landlords.
The registration venue was set to open its doors on Saturday morning for locals but the IEC claims it was barred from setting up in the community building.
It's understood the community centre is run by three landlords but only one cashed in on the deal with the IEC to use the facility.
The other two disgruntled landlords have since refused to handover the keys for building.
IEC presiding officer, Emily Kula, said she had lodged a complaint about the matter.
"The IEC knows one landlord but there are three landlords now. They took their chairs and everything else and they said we must organise our own. we paid the landlord, but we can’t get inside."
Despite the rough start to the morning, Kula said that 63 voters had been registered so far.
"We can operate but our gadgets are going to get flat. We must have access to electricity to charge but we don’t have any access."