22 February 2006
As part of the final preparations for the 2006 Municipal Elections, the
Electoral Commission (IEC) today launched its National Operations Centre in
Pretoria.
The National Operations Centre (coined âThe NOCâ by IEC management and
staff), is housed in a 12 000m² hall at the Tshwane Events Centre in Pretoria
West and will be used as the IECs command and control centre for all voting
results activities.
The centre will also serve as a central point from which the media can
monitor incoming results and a base from which they can report, as well as a
meeting place for political parties, politicians, businesses and government
leaders to keep abreast of results and to interact.
It was no mean feat creating the National Operations Centre which measures
12 000 square metres split across three levels. Over 11000sq/m of carpeting and
44 000 tiles were laid, 2 km of network cabling installed, 200 offices were
built inside the Centre, 400 personal computers (PCs) have been installed and
two television stations and seven radio stations will have studios at the
centre.
The IEC will employ over 500 staff per shift at the National Operations
Centre.
In 1999 the IEC established a similar centre focused on management and
results activities. The initiative proved so successful that the IEC â on
recommendations from political parties and the media â was encouraged to
establish centres for the 2000 Municipal Elections, the 2004 national and
provincial elections and now for the 2006 municipal elections.
Operations Centres have also been established in all nine provinces, serving
the same purpose on a provincial level as the National Operations Centre does
in Pretoria. During the election period, commissioners, management and
electoral staff will move office to the ten results centres countrywide.
IEC activities at the National Operations Centre (NOC) in Pretoria will
include a results system technical help desk, a results problem-resolution
authority, an electoral operations ânerve centreâ, an extensive information
technology division and a geographic information system group that will prepare
interactive, map-based graphics displays for large projection screens, for the
media and for dissemination via the IEC intranet to provincial operations
centres.
For queries please contact:
Lydia Young
Media Liaison
Cell: 082 650 8652
Issued by: Independent Electoral Commission
22 February 2006
