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Apart from die-hard supporters of certain parties, who are excited to vote for their parties, election time can be a headache for ordinary voters who are not affiliated to any formation. It is an interesting dynamic that while we look forward to voting, for most people it is not that easy to settle on a party that is trustworthy and worthy of our mark.
But it is a pleasant headache to have. We should never take this for granted.
It is 25 years since all South Africans were allowed to vote and participate in the governance of this country. For this right many lives were lost, families torn apart, and safety and comfort sacrificed as decades were spent in prison.
Despite this, several studies and anecdotal evidence point to many South Africans – mostly young people – saying they will not vote. They argue that they believe their vote will change nothing anyway. But this is a defeatist argument because what it means is that nothing will change because they did not vote.
A vote is an important pillar, though not the only one, in enhancing our democracy. Beyond voting, citizens should remain engaged and keep elected leaders on their toes long after election day. Democracy should be an everyday habit.
But it starts with voting.
Politicians will not take voters for granted if they fear being outvoted for nonperformance and wrongful behaviour. Every vote must exist to affirm elected leaders who are accountable and deliver services for their communities, and to punish those who steal from the public purse and are inaccessible to their constituencies.
Once we turn our backs on voting, we are, in essence, giving a free licence for looting and destruction in our name.
The youth also say that they are being blackmailed into feeling guilty about not voting by people who say others died for this vote. The point is not to blackmail them but to remind them that the architects of apartheid knew that the only way they could keep black people under subjugation and penury was to deny them that basic right. It is a precious right.
And then there are other citizens who say that they cannot live with their conscience if they were to vote for any of the main three parties: the ANC, DA and EFF. They say that the ANC is too rotten and should never again be trusted with public resources; that the DA is untransformed and confused; and that the EFF is too brash and its militancy dangerous.
Fair enough; they are entitled to hold those views. But that should not be a reason not to vote.
There are 48 political parties on the ballot. Therefore, enough of a choice exists. Some may be clown parties, but a number of them have serious intentions and a sound record in the national and provincial legislatures. A vote for a small party is not a wasted vote. It also sends a statement to the big parties.
Besides, voters are unlikely to find the perfect party that ticks all the boxes that we want.
We have to make do with what we believe will strengthen democracy and secure the future of this country. In these provincial and national elections, voters also exercise that right twice, so voters can play around with their choices and split votes between different parties should they choose to.
Read: Voting used to be a privilege. But now its a right. Do it
There is a quote about democracy that is often attributed to former British prime minister Winston Churchill when he, in fact, was quoting somebody else during a speech to Parliament. In that quote Churchill conceded that the system was not perfect, stating: “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
But the most profound statement on the subject was one in which he stated that: “At the bottom of all the tributes paid to democracy is the little man, walking into the little booth, with a little pencil, making a little cross on a little bit of paper — no amount of rhetoric or voluminous discussion can possibly diminish the overwhelming importance of that point.”
For those cynics who believe this democracy thing is a waste of time, it is worth thinking about those who live in dictatorships, monarchies and pseudo-democracies who have virtually no say in their countries’ affairs. Except for China and North Korea – where the state exercises virtual information blackouts – they long to live in open societies where their voices matter.
So, we urge eligible South African voters to be those little men and women walking into the little booths with little pencils, making those little crosses for the sake of our collective future.
