As South Africans recently exercised their Constitutional right at this year’s elections, Blind SA prides itself on playing its part to ensure a smooth process among the blind and partially sighted.
In their contribution to voters and civic education, Blind SA reached 982 blind and partially sighted people through 27 WhatsApp groups. They also reached 648 blind and partially sighted individuals through Blind SA’s 47 branches across SA.
“Our total was 1 630 blind and partially sighted persons reached through civic and voters’ education for the national and provincial elections 2024.
“Blind SA registered 91 observers and 67 observers trained as peace and monitoring observers by the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation and Monitoring Africa,” explained Blind SA’s national election co-ordinator, Gilbert Mangwekea.
EISA and Blind SA signed a memorandum of understanding. EISA deployed 67 peace and monitoring observers on a contract of two months, which began at the start of May and ended in June. Mangwekea said the deployed observers observed the pre-election, Election Day and post-elections.
“It was the first time blind and partially sighted people used the software called Popola to record the observation’s findings, and EISA trained them. The software was downloaded into their Android and IoS phones, and they could easily navigate it,” he said.
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