Bulawayo (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said on Wednesday it had printed some of its voter education material for this year`s general elections in Braille for the benefit of visually impaired voters.
ZEC deputy provincial elections officer for Bulawayo, Preety Gadzikwa made the announcement here at a pre-election training workshop for political parties, duty bearers and other stakeholders in the elections pencilled for August 23.
The elections are for new presidential, parliamentary and local government office bearers to run the affairs of the country for the next five years.
“ZEC has printed some of its voter education material in Braille for the benefit of the visually impaired voters,” Gadzikwa said.
But she could not say whether ballot papers would also be printed in Braille.
“I am not privy as to whether the ballot papers will also be printed in Braille. I am going to take up all the concerns raised here regarding people with disability and special needs with the Commission,” she said.
People with hearing and visual impairments have, over the years, complained that their electoral needs were not fully taken into account, thereby disenfranchising them.
In 2021, the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) principals called on ZEC to make provisions for Braille voting so that the blind can also vote in secret.
The group also suggested that the Electoral Act must have specific provisions to make it mandatory for ZEC to provide for Braille voting.
According to experts, nearly 1.3 million Zimbabweans are blind.
New Ziana
