The Chairperson of People with Disabilities in the Ohangwena Region, Asser Shikongo, has called on the Electoral Commission of Namibia (EC) to, in the build-up to the national elections, be mindful of their responsibilities to citizens with disabilities. 

Representing the Regional Development Coordinating Committee, Shikongo took up the plight of the people with disabilities, saying their democratic rights are not respected, given the unavailability of information related to general voter registration in formats more easily accessible to the community.

He spoke during an ECN regional stakeholders' meeting in the Ohangwena Region.

Detailing his own experience, the visually impaired Shikongo says that unlike EVM machines, a technology that speaks to everyone, including those with visual impairments, this is not the case with manual voting, and one would need help with the ballot papers. 

He thus called for the ECN to ensure a sufficient supply of braille material before and during the national election to cater to every Namibian.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders on electoral matters and served as a platform for familiarising the election supervisors with the 12 constituencies of the Ohangwena Region, where they've been assigned.