The chief executive officer of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) Sy Mamabolo, has confirmed that the official who leaked the African National Congress’ Parliament list, has been fired.
This was after she was asked to make submissions on why she should not fired by the commission over her conduct.
Mamabolo told Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday that they have axed the official.
“Her employment contract with the commission has now been terminated,” said Mamabolo.
He added that they had engaged with the official, but could not get the motive for leaking the list of the ANC.
The list of former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party was also leaked.
Mamabolo said earlier they contacted the official concerned and asked that she should make submissions on why she should not be fired by the IEC.
Mamabolo said there was a forensic analysis of the computer used.
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the matter was reported to the IEC after it came to their attention that their list was leaked, containing the full ID numbers of the members who have been nominated for Parliament.
However, both Ramaphosa and Mbalula said they have confidence in the IEC to deal with the matter.
Mamabolo said they were cooperating with the Information Regulator on the matter.
He said the source of the leak was from inside the commission.
Leak identified
After this they launched an investigation to establish the source of the leak and the person behind it.
“The investigation has narrowed the source of the disclosure to a work station that has been used to generate and store those reports. Later, the said reports were deleted from the workstation,” said Mamabolo.
“Earlier today that workstation was secured in the presence of the official whose credentials were used to generate the report. A forensic analysis of that computer is currently underway,” he said.
“The reports section of the candidate nomination system, access to that has been scaled down to ensure that there isn’t wanton access to the reporting sections of the reports. There is also heightened awareness created to all staff members.
“There is an investigation that we undertook as we report and corrective action is taken in terms of the internal policies of the IEC. How many people were involved?
“At the moment the established facts indicated there was one person. The investigation is ongoing precisely to preclude the possibility that there may have been other officials who did the same.”
He said the credibility of the IEC was still intact and the incident will not diminish the work of the commission.
The IEC said there were more than 27.7 million people who were registered to vote in the May 29 election. This is the largest number of eligible voters who are on the voters’ roll.
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