The Independent Electoral Commission says it is tightening its systems against cyber-attacks as the 2019 general elections draw closer. The IEC held a discussion with the media in Durban, outlining its plans ahead of the coming elections.
The IEC’s chairperson Glen Mashinini says the running of the elections is not entirely dependent on an automated system. “With respect to the cyber-attack, we have risen measures in our system to protect and to defend our systems that they are not collapsed and at the same to ensure that nobody can manipulate the systems. We however state that there is no full proof, the extent that our election is not fully automated the aspect of the election that are involved is the registration and it is the transmission of the results everything else in between is manual.”
Meanwhile, another round of voter registration will be rolled-out in January next year. Mashinini has also stressed the importance of voters verifying their personal details in the voters’ roll.
“As much as the significant progress has been made but we still have few people and one is too many that have not come forward so we urge all South Africans to ensure that come registration they come out in large numbers to verify all their details that they are in full compliance with the constitutional requirements.”