MUSIC stopped when Katutura's famous Eveline Street, starting at the end of Independence Avenue and leading to Goreangab Dam, joined the rest of Namibia to stream to the polling stations on Friday morning as drinking, partying, jollity, music and dancing made way for voting.

With the jolly mood of Eveline Street gone for a few hours, residents were joined by others in the Goreangab neighbourhood who went to vote as they were - some even in pyjamas.

"I came here just after 04h00 this morning. That is why I look sleepy and am still in my pyjamas. I wanted to be among the first voters. It is my first time voting," one young woman said.

At the Okuryangava Women Centre the queue snaked down towards the service station.

Voters were patient. Some young people whipped out their cellphones and portable music players to keep themselves busy while others, like Prime Minister Nahas Angula in front of the United House in the city centre, read newspapers, magazines and books, or simply chatted the time away, but not about politics.

Angula was asked to move to the front of the line but decided to be "citizen Nahas" - he wanted to share the experience of ordinary voters who wait in a queue.

Within two minutes of the opening of polling stations, the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation's 07h00 news declared that "voting started and is progressing smoothly" as excited journalists and newsreaders got carried away.

Friday was also good business for many vendors in Windhoek's most populated locations.

Voters who were not absorbed in playing games on their cellphones or sending short messages (SMSes) chowed down on boerewors rolls or kapana - small pieces of meat.

The atmosphere at some polling stations like Van Rhyn School and the Khomasdal Community Hall was not festive but voters used the time to chat - not only about the latest story about the new Mercedes Benz for the Office of the President, but also about less weighty matters, like planned fishing at the coast during the upcoming holiday season as well as debating whether the bottle stores should have been closed on polling days or not.

Saturday was much quieter at the polling stations.

Many had used work hours on Friday to vote and the next day was for shopping, washing, funerals and wedding parties.

The long queues had disappeared as election officials chatted quietly while waiting patiently for voters who arrived in drips and drabs.

At many polling stations throughout Windhoek, people moved in and out within minutes and gone were the SMS messages like "camrad, only hours left for the election pls make sure that your registratio card iz with you. Go and vote ..."

In fact, Saturday afternoon - though still a voting day - presented early celebrations and party time in parts of Katutura as some Swapo supporters took to the streets with music blaring from their cars while others were hanging out of car windows waving party flags.

Nevertheless, with the final results scheduled for later this week, official celebrations by any political party will have to wait a bit longer.