Windhoek — SOME visually impaired Namibians experienced difficulties in casting their votes through the Braille ballot folders at polling stations in Windhoek.

There are currently 30 000 visually impaired people in the country and most of them are unable to read Braille due to the illiteracy problem facing many Namibians.

Even though the Braille and dot system was introduced last month, visually challenged voters had some difficulty in understanding how the system worked at some polling stations in the city. Presiding Officer of Katutura Central Constituency Sam Hambira told New Era most of them could not cast their votes independently, but needed the close hands of polling officials to assist them in the two days of voting this week.

"Our only problem is that blind people don't know how to vote and we had to guide them manually every step of the way," said Hambira.

Ever since Monday, close to 10 visually impaired voters, mostly comprising the elderly, visited the polling station at the Katutura Community Hall. He explained that the few that did come in were unable to read Braille, making it hard for them to vote.

Well-known blind Namibian, Helmut Paul, who's better known as "Uncle Paul" told New Era that the there was very little voter education for visually challenged voters to get to know the process well before the elections. "This was a new thing, so why did they have to rush into it? It takes time to learn Braille and why should a visually impaired person trust some election official to help them cast their vote, while they have a close relative next to them? How many votes would have been wasted by now?" asked Uncle Paul.

He insists that a continuous effort must be put in place to teach people as from now on how to read Braille and not only for the elections, which have now passed. Uncle Paul proudly admits that he was assisted by his wife to cast his vote in these elections, since she's the only person he can trust.

In an effort to assist visually impaired Namibians to vote independently and give them the same rights as any other citizen, the Electoral Commission of Namibia and the Office of the Prime Minister launched special ballot papers in Braille and the punched dot method.

This was the first time they cast their vote without assistance from poll officials in the presidential and National Assembly elections.

On the other hand, Presiding Officer of the Oshatotwa polling station in the Moses //Garoeb Constituency Wilhelmina Hamukwya told New Era a positive story. "From the two to three blind people who came in here, most of them knew how to read Braille and when asked to be assisted, they said they could cope on their own," said Hamukwya.

For 29-year-old Claudia Jafet who has been blind for the past six years, the new process was a dream come true. The only thing she wishes for now through her vote is to get more money for the education of her children.

"We don't have enough money for our kids, therefore I am asking Government to help us," said Claudia holding a white cane and a small money basket. She normally stands begging for money close to the Wernhil Park Shopping Centre's entrance.