EDITORIAL | An open ballot is an exercise in accountability

The leader of the EFF has challenged ANC stalwarts, and rightly so, to put their money where their mouths are

05 December 2022 - 21:04

Former president Thabo Mbeki — in a black ANC jacket — insisted his vote was his secret in the 2016 local government elections. President Cyril Ramaphosa in that same year, then ANC deputy president, joked with journalists his vote was no secret. The Independent Electoral Commission has prided itself over the years on assuring voters their preference is their secret, a phrase often repeated by South Africans in jest when asked who they voted for. The principle behind keeping a voter’s identity anonymous in an election or referendum is sound, mainly because it helps prevent voter intimidation. But the soundness of the argument depends on the context...