This is why Lowvelder editorial staff members will make their mark this year

We will be covering some voting stations on election day in and around Mbombela. Don’t forget to snap your photo after making your mark and tag Lowvelder using the #IMadeMyMark.

Mireille de Villiers (Lowvelder news editor) : I will be making my mark on May 8, because it is a privilege to participate in our hard-won democracy. We can never take the freedoms that go with it, for granted.

Also, every vote does count. In the previous general elections a minority party needed approximately 30 000 votes to obtain a seat in Parliament.

If you do the math, you can vote people into representing you in the country’s legislative body, and have a voice.

 

Enver Wessels ( Lowvelder journalist) : I consider the right to vote one of the singular most important rights one can have as a human being. Being stripped of this right silences your voice and robs you of the right to influence what type of government should be at the helm in South Africa. Going to the polls means you have the right to actively influence the direction the country is headed in. Having 28 parties to choose from in this year’s election, for me, is an indication that the political landscape is changing and more voices will be given representation in this country. Whichever way you choose to cast your vote, remember the sacrifices made for all of us to have this right. See you at the voting station on May 8, and let us all proudly raise our thumbs and say, ‘#Imademymark’.

 

Maylize Nel ( Lowvelder sub editor): Not voting is the worst possible thing you can do, I believe it is very ignorant. We all want to live in a better country, and we all have the power to make a difference, no matter how small. I will vote because I want to see change; I want a South Africa my child can live happily in. If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain.

 

Mark Kinnear ( Lowvelder production editor):  I have just turned 50 years old. I have voted in every local and national election since 1994. I love my country and believe a prosperous and stable future is possible. But we need a strong and righteous government. I will vote on May 8. My vote is confidential and so is yours. But please, please, do not abstain from voting. Your crossed ballot papers are vital to our future.

Stefan de Villiers (Lowvelder sports editor ): I have been voting since I was allowed to, because I vocalise what I need, want and believe in. It is my voice. My life and the happiness of me and my family’s future depend on it.

I refuse to let the country’s challenges get me down, and I’m not going anywhere. The least I can do is show up and make my mark. If we don’t vote, someone else will make the decisions for you and the situation will continue to spiral.

It matters to the future of you, your family, your community. Don’t waste your privilege.

De Wet Potgieter ( Editor Lowvelder ): It’s time to say your say and make your mark. Without a voice we cannot speak. So, if you don’t vote, you have no voice, thus have no right to stand up and criticise.

On Wednesday I will vote for a better South Africa. When I have made my mark, I will be part of the millions of fellow South Africans who voted for a better, corruption-free and accountable government.

So in conclusion, as everyone can see in the above statements, Lowveld Media staff are going to make their marks on election day and we encourage you to make your mark.