Vote for change

Soon the electorate of this country will go to the voting polls to elect the government to represent us for the next five years.

This is a very crucial election and will test us in many ways, but the biggest test will be if we have matured from the fledgling democracy that everybody perceived us to be, or a matured democracy tolerant to the diversity we consist of, or have intolerance reared its ugly head and eradicated the good in us all.

Recent visuals and reports in our media (ripping t-shirts of political supporters, trashing council chambers, throwing petrol bombs at opposition party supporters) paint a terrible picture and make a person wonder if people, especially politicians in the ruling party, think we exist in isolation or on an island and that the rest of the world is blinded by the happenings in South Africa.

Remember, we are the success story of 1994 and that has placed us solidly on the map, so much so that many other countries are using us as an example. Yet we find that the ruling party members are becoming more and more intolerant to other political entities, people’s choices and governance, so much so that it smacks of total arrogance.

Our good story can only continue when we as the citizens of this country take ownership of the success story, become blatantly honest and ensure that the successes continue by recognising the terrible flaws and rectify them with every chance at our disposal (in this case an election and your vote). No government can be a success without the support of the public.

I therefore appeal to the voter; please consider the following when you cast your vote on May 7:

· Do you want to waste your vote on a government that failed so many, that is corrupt and has no regard for the voice of the people?

· Appointing members to parliament that have affiliations to other political parties, that could not raise one vote to send them to the highest authority of the land (e.g. SACP).

· Reward candidates on political loyalty over excellence and merit to parliament, while they are under investigations for mismanagement, corruption and fraud. (e.g Mrs D Pule – maladministration, Mr Lungisa – fraud charges, Mr H Mmemezi – missing state funds, Mr P Mabe – fraud charges and not to mention the President and so many others).

· Run the fiscals into a trillion rand debt.

· Giving privileges to the selected few.

· Waste money on multimillion rand upgrades to leaders’ private residences, while we have people that are still on a housing waiting list since 1996/97.

· Driving political and government officials around in convoys with several security guards and expensive vehicles. Who do they fear? Their own people.

· Implementing unfavorable legislation to siphon more from the consumers’ pockets to finance their lavish lifestyle instead of the coffers of the fiscals.

The list is endless and as a concerned citizen of this country I can only call on all the voters out there to really make an informed decision that when you vote you do it to improve the governance of this land so we can all reap the benefit of a better life.

Peter Stewart

Councillor (PR) Ward 125

Democratic Alliance