There is no typical way for an 80-year-old to act or behave, but even if there was, Pusetso Mablane would not fit that mould. The Roodepoort resident is sharp, witty and spunky, and she was very excited to cast her vote in the municipal elections on November 1.
This day was even more special – it was also her birthday.
“I will not forfeit voting for the simple reason that we didn’t know this all our lives. We are very new in it as we were deprived of voting. This is my chance to choose, whether I vote or not. I have actually worked as a voter educator, where we showed people the advantages and disadvantages of voting. I am definitely going to vote. That’s number one. I will vote until the day I die.”
She voted for the first time in 1994 at the dawn of democracy. At the time she was working as an educator and tutor on voting systems. She reminisced about voting for the first time more than 28 years ago. “I would have voted 10 times,” she smiled. “I was also one of the people who were counting as well as motivating people to cast their votes, and what to expect.”
The 80-year-old is energetic and her passion for education is clear when speaking about the work she used to do. They educated communities on subjects such as the constitution, and the rights and responsibilities of freedom. She believes voting is her right as a citizen. “My duty is not to sit there and complain because it very easy to shift the blame to someone or something else when things don’t work out. You need to look at yourself first and take responsibility.”
No stranger to the polls, Pusetso said she was approaching the voting station with confidence because she knew what she wanted, even if she did not know what the outcome would be. She was optimistic that things would go right. “I have trust not just in the laws of the country, but in the universal laws as well. Change will always come, nothing is static. Just like we went through apartheid, if we didn’t have hope and believed that things would change, they wouldn’t have.” She added that being discouraged would not solve anything.
She believes the best way to get young people to actively participate in the elections is through education. “Most people don’t even attend the meetings in our communities. Once decisions are taken, people complain but they don’t want to participate. I wonder if the young voters were taught what voting entails and what power it carries. What does it mean to be a citizen? Often people just go with the popular or new party without understanding that every party has its core principles.”
According to Pusetso, life is meant to be lived. “Go to the polls with vigour. We want a beautiful South Africa,” she encouraged.
