Electoral Commission of South Africa’s Eastern Cape electoral officer Kayakazi Magudumana. (Sithandiwe Velaphi/News24)
Walter Sisulu University closed its Mthatha campus due to safety concerns following a violent protest, but later reopened. The closure led to the evacuation of students, affecting around 2,737 registered voters in the campus voting district. The university cited safety as the main reason for the closure, suspending the campus SRC in the process.
While the campus eventually reopened for business activities, academic operations remained suspended. Despite the reopening, some students had already left and were unlikely to return, impacting their voting rights in the upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, community protests caused the closure of three voting stations in Amahlathi, King Sabata Dalindyebo, and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. National police and military presence in Mthatha aimed to ensure a safe election environment, with 15 arrests made to maintain order.