My ignorance refuted: why to vote on Wednesday

I am no expert when it comes to politics.

I like someone or I don’t.

Someone’s good at service delivery or they’re not.

And I cast my vote based on that.

However, I have had the opportunity to observe the world of politics over the past few years.  Initially, the ignorant me described it as the war of the T-shirts.

I thought that it was like a fusion between Oprah and Jerry Springer.

However, I have since come to realise that there is a lot more to what they call election preparations than what meets the eye.  Over the weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) information session on the upcoming elections and learnt a few interesting facts.  This year’s election is the biggest that Mpumalanga has ever seen.  A total of 34 political parties and a number of independent candidates will stand in the 2016 elections.

Read tomorrow’s Lowvelder for more.

The IEC has spent months preparing for free and fair elections.  When you cast your vote on Wednesday, you truly will do so privately.  Nobody can bully you into voting for any party you do not want to vote for.

Although we often joke about voting and many argue that “my vote won’t make a difference,” this cartoon illustrates the true state of affairs:

Although the cartoon refers to Texans, it serves as a wake up call for South Africans.

Wednesday is not a gin and tonic day.  It is a stand in line and vote day.  Because if you don’t stand in line and vote, can you really complain if no water flows from your tap?  Or if your light bulb produces no light?

FACT: You may argue that you pay your bills and are entitled to these things, but it is the representatives we choose, who must see to it that our municipality functions like clockwork.

It’s just one of those things.  The fact that you pay your rates and taxes, does not change that.

So vote on Wednesday.

If my ignorance could have been transformed, anyone’s can.