Election Time

Well on Wednesday history will be made. After a long hard fight the South African government has conceded – Saffa’s living overseas can vote in the general elections and I am so excited.

It is rather weird considering that I was never interested in Politics and I always felt that voting was pretty pointless. In Africa, votes tend to get counted, and recounted until the right party wins. This time around I feel a lot more positive, I actually want to vote. Why – well simply because I believe in South Africa and I want to make a difference, no matter how small that difference may be.

Sure I am not naïve, I know that the ANC will still win by a majority and we will be stuck with Zuma as President, but if we can eat away into their stranglehold on the country we may be able to ensure that South Africa doesn’t go the way of Zimbabwe. All I know is that to give up hope is like signing South Africa’s death warrant.

When I was there over the Christmas period, I noticed how people’s attitudes are changing. People are getting cross with the governments impotence and mismanagement, that’s why there are breakaway parties like COPE. What we really need is strong opposition leaders who can rally the people together and give them hope in a more positive future – ironically the same can be said for the UK, but I feel feathers for this country and its politics.

I know the situation in South Africa is pretty dire. The president-to-be can best be described as a cross between George Bush and Gaddafi , and the Zulu warrior blood runs strong in him, however there is still some sort of democracy in South Africa and perhaps the opposition may be able to keep him in line.

All I know is that I want to return to my South Africa, sure it has changed – in some ways positively and other ways negatively. We are a nation of survivors and if it wasn’t for the corruption and crime, it would be thriving. So on Wednesday I will proudly vote, not just to help shift the powerbase away from the ANC but also to say very clearly “I have not given up on South Africa.”