ZITHUKUTHELE ziyaveva izinhlangano ezibhekele abagula ngengqondo njengoba bengavunyelwe ukuvota okhethweni lukazwelonke olungoMeyi 8 nonyaka.
Bangaphezu kuka-30 000 abasezikhungweni zabagula ngengqondo eNingizimu Afrika abangeke bavote.
Isikhulu esiphezulu seKhomishini yezokhetho i-Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) KwaZulu-Natal, uMnuz Mawethu Mosery, sitshele Isolezwe ngeSonto ukuthi abasezikhungweni zabagula ngengqondo abavunyelwe ukuvota.
“Umthetho awubavumeli ukuvota. Sike sazama ukuthi kuchitshiyelwe umthetho wokuthi bavunyelwe ukuvota kodwa yangaphumelela imizamo yethu.
“Ngisho nabangekho ezikhungweni zabagula ngengqondo, abavunyelwe ukuvota uma bengakwazi ukuzithathela izinqumo. Ongekho esikhungweni sabagula ngengqondo asimnqabeli ukuthi eze ukuzovota kodwa uma kukhomba ukuthi uyahluleka ukuzithathela isinqumo esefikile esikhungweni sokuvota, asimvumeli ukuthi avote.
“Akuvumelekile ukuthi kube ngamalungu emindeni yabo ebathathela izinqumo,” kusho uMosery.
Uthe nabafike bone amaphepha okuvota ngokushaya iziphambano kubona bonke abaholi, babathatha njengabagula ngengqondo njengoba kusuke kucaca ukuthi abazi ukuthi benzani.
Obhekele ukusebenza eDurban & Coastal Health okuyisikhungo sabagula ngengqondo, uFlorina Hlongwane, uthe kuyabamangaza ukuthi abagula ngengqondo banqatshelwe ukuvota.
“Nabo bangabantu. Asazi kungani bephucwa ilungelo labo lokuvota. Akumele engabe iyenzeka le nto. Ngeke sibaphoqe ukuthi baye kovota uma bengathandi kodwa othandayo kumele avunyelwe,” kusho uHlongwane.
IPhalamende lisanda kunqaba ukushintsha umthetho ovimbela abagula ngengqondo ukuthi bavote.
Ngokombiko weSABC, uKarabo Kgoleng owayengumsakazi wayo owatholwa ukuthi unesifo somqondo (bipolar disorder) esemncane, uthe isifo somqondo akulona icala lomuntu esimhlasele.
Uthe ukunqabela abagula ngengqondo ukuvota kungukuthwesa abantu abangenacala icala, ekubeni izigebengu ezenza amacala ziwahlosile, zivunyelwa ukuvota.
I-SABC ibike ukuthi iSouth African Federation for Mental Health, esineminyaka izama ukuthi kushintshwe umthetho ovimbela abagula ngengqondo ukuthi bavote, ivumelana noKarabo kulokhu.
USolwazi Crick Lund, ongumqondisi e- Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, uthe kumele engabe kuba nezinsiza zabagula ngengqondo ukuthi bathathe izinqumo uma kuvotwa.
Uthe akumele abagula ngengqondo baphucwe ilungelo labo lokuvota.
IPhini leNhloko yeKhomishini yokhetho i-IEC, uMasego Shiburi lithe balicelile iPhalamende ukuthi lo mthetho ushintshwe kodwa kwangenzeka.