Sy Mamabolo, the head honcho at the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), has shed light on a pressing issue where it’s believed an IEC staffer shared sensitive information. This info included the much-talked-about African National Congress (ANC) candidate list for Parliament, alongside details related to the MK Party, founded by former President Jacob Zuma.
Mamabolo revealed that they’ve pinpointed the employee in question and have formally requested their reasoning why they shouldn’t be let go from the commission.
“The list of former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party was also leaked.”
It was disclosed that a thorough check of the computer used by the alleged informant was carried out to trace the origins of this leak.
ANC’s top brass, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, brought this breach to the IEC’s attention, noting the leak included complete identification details of their parliamentary nominees. Despite this hiccup, they’ve expressed their trust in the IEC to properly handle the situation.
The IEC is also working closely with the Information Regulator to navigate this issue, emphasizing the leak stemmed from within the commission itself.
Following the discovery, an intensive probe was initiated to track down the leak’s origin and the individual responsible.
“The investigation has pinpointed the disclosure’s source to a specific workstation, where critical reports were generated, stored, and later erased. This workstation has been secured, especially since it was operated under the credentials of the official under investigation. A detailed forensic examination of this computer is in progress.
“To prevent further unauthorized access, we’ve restricted access to the candidate nomination system’s reports section and raised awareness among our staff about the seriousness of this breach,” Mamabolo explained.
He reassured that this incident doesn’t tarnish the IEC’s reputation, emphasizing their commitment to maintaining the integrity of their operations.
The IEC also announced that a record-breaking 27.7 million people are registered to vote in the upcoming May 29 election, highlighting the vast scale of their electoral responsibility.
This incident brings to the forefront the challenges of safeguarding sensitive data in the digital age, especially within institutions as critical as the IEC. The ongoing investigation aims to not only address this breach but also strengthen the commission’s internal protocols against future incidents.
