Election fraud bid foiled as two women arrested for impersonating IEC officials

The suspects were identified before leaving the station, and the voting material was confiscated. Police have arrested two women after they allegedly impersonated Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) officials and collected voting materials. Officers from the Ngcobo Police Station handcuffed the duo on Monday morning, prompting a warning that interference with the electoral process would not be tolerated. Impersonation It is alleged that at about 4.30am on 2 November 2026, the two women arrived at Ngcobo Police Station and collected voting material, claiming that the presiding officer had sent them. LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more! View Map However, the presiding officer was already present in the queue and had not sent anyone to collect the material. Arrest Police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said the suspects were identified before they left the station and the voting material was confiscated “The two suspects have been arrested and are being processed. They are two females aged 57 and 61. “A case has been opened under Act 27/2000, section 68(d), for impersonating an IEC official. Further details will be shared in due course,” Gantana said. Warning The Eastern Cape provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Vuyisile Ncata, has condemned the incident. “We will not tolerate any interference with the electoral process. The arrest of the two suspects demonstrates our commitment to upholding the integrity of the elections. Anyone who impersonates an IEC official will face the full might of the law,” said Ncata. Special election arrests Meanwhile, two election-related arrests were made in Limpopo during special voting in the 2026 local government elections. Police arrested one suspect in the Mankweng policing area for allegedly tearing down official election posters. The incident was reportedly captured on video. In a separate case in Sekhukhune, another suspect was arrested after a political confrontation in which a complainant’s party T-shirt was allegedly forcibly removed and set alight. Limpopo Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers warned that Saps would not tolerate intimidation, violence or the unlawful destruction of election material, urging political rivals to resolve differences peacefully.