The Electoral Commission (IEC) today officially launched its national Results Operation Centre (ROC) in Tshwane as part of the final preparations for the 2011 Municipal Elections.
The Chief Electoral Officer, Advocate Pansy Tlakula, said for the next few days until the final results are announced, commissioners and officials of the Commission will relocate from their offices to the ROC. Over this period, it becomes the central point from which all election-related activities throughout the country is coordinated.
“This Results Operations Centre will be the hub for all operations on Election Day. One reason for having a Centre such as this is the credibility and transparency it brings to the results process.
In order for elections to be free and fair, and to be seen as such, transparency in their conduct and in determining their outcome is fundamental. We hope that stakeholders such as political parties and the media among others will be able to visit the Centre in the coming week so that they can bear testimony that indeed, we did everything possible to safeguard the freeness and fairness of these elections,” said Advocate Tlakula.
As results slips are captured at the municipal electoral offices (MEOs) across the country, the data will be transferred to the IEC computer systems via the national IT network infrastructure and stored in a central database. State-of-the-art IT and GIS applications will rapidly make data available for communication to political parties, the media and IEC staff within the venue and to the nine provincial ROCs.
In addition, data in various formats will be displayed on two huge projection screens in the centres. Graphic interpretations, maps, analysis, running scores and percentages are all popular displays.
For the 2011 Municipal Elections, there will be 12 political parties hosted at the ROC each allocated a small office and a table on the main floor of the ROC from where they can view activities.
On the media front, the SABC will broadcast directly from the Centre and will bring in hundreds of staff to enable the broadcaster to provide coverage of this significant event. In this period editors, analysts, technicians, cameramen, reporters, announcers, logistics and support staff will work from the Centre to bring viewers and listeners the latest on the elections.
eNews will also have a sizeable presence to enable them to beam election images and comment to its viewership throughout the country and beyond on a 24-hour basis.
Several radio stations will transmit live from the Centre among others Radio 702, Cape Talk 567, Highveld and Kaya FM.
SAPA as well as a number of newspapers will also work from offices in the Centre for the duration of the election period.
The ROC is again situated at the Tshwane Events Centre, previously known as the Pretoria Show Grounds, in Pretoria West. This is the sixth election (1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009 and now 2011) that the IEC will use this venue as its National ROC. Building work commenced on 2 April 2011.
GPS cell-phone service providers have provided additional local coverage at the ROC for the election period while a mobile Telkom exchange was brought in to enhance the communicability of the Centre.
Some of the features of the 12 000 m² Hall J include 450 computer workstations, 300 telephone units; more than 20 kilometres of data, fibre and telephone cabling; more than 800 electricity power points; more than 200 lights; and over 44 000 carpet tiles.
Two television stations and seven radio stations will have studios and/or broadcast from the Centre. A further 50 offices, server rooms, board rooms, meeting rooms and storerooms were built to house officials and equipment.
In conclusion IEC chairperson, Dr Brigalia Bam, said the IEC enters this year’s local government elections being particularly encouraged by the dramatic increase in the number of parties, voters and increased public participation in electoral democracy as shown by the large numbers in the voters’ roll and registered political parties.
“From our side, we commit to do our utmost best in delivering this year’s elections and to ensure that transparency, accountability, professionalism and independence characterise the running of these elections. Such qualities are now increasingly associated with this Commission and its operations and this year we plan to underscore these principles in our work more than we have done before,” said Dr Bam.
Both speeches are available on the IEC website. For easy access, please click on the link, http://www.elections.org.za/content/DynamicDocs.aspx?id=447&BreadCrumbId=274&LeftMenuId=251&name=home
For media queries, please contact
Kate Bapela
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For media interviews, please e-mail requests to spokesperson@elections.org.za
