In most of the polling stations in the constituency, voters had already turned up in hundreds when the stations were opened  at 7 am for voting, but progress thereafter was very slow because of time that was spent one explaining the electoral system by polling officers to each voter. At the SOS polling station, 1 845 people had registered to vote but only about 60 voters had voted at 0900 Hrs. A Presiding Officer at the station, Mrs Mamonehela Mohale indicated that the voting process was running slowly at the station because people were unfamiliar with the new electoral system that was being  practised and therefore they took a longer time to vote .

                  One of the long  queues caused by lack of experience by voters. (pic. M.Kheleli )

Mrs Mohale indicated that the use of the new electoral model required the Polling officers to spend some time on explaining to each voter how the system works before they can attempt to vote and the process took a longer time with the most illiterate people and the aged because their learning rate is much slower. However, She expressed a believe that they will have covered all voters when the station closes. Most of the polling stations in the Lithabaneng constituency were opened in time.

25 MAY 2002