Responses to Letter from the editor, 27 April
For an idiot like Thabo Mbeki to come out from under his rock to support the crooked ANC, and for the chief crook Jacob Zuma to be allowed to get back into Parliament shows that the Western Cape is the only province that stands any chance of surviving in this country. Thank God for the honest and excellent DA.
Steve Davidson
I don’t think any party deserves our votes. However, the only party that promises to dismantle BEE is Actionsa. Removing the harmful BEE policies is what stands between South Africa and significant economic growth and job creation for all.
With that said, they all make promises and never deliver.
Kobus Pretorius
I am voting ANC again. I last voted for it in 2004. Nelson Mandela was a statesman and reconciler of a divided country. Thabo Mbeki brought back a sense of pride in being African and I like that he insisted on civil servants having the spirit of batho pele, or service to the people.
I stopped voting for the ANC when Jacob Zuma came into power. Zuma is an oldschool, Soviet-era conspiracy theorist who insults our intelligence with his homophobia, tribalism and misogyny.
Cyril Ramaphosa is a lame duck, but I would vote for the ANC to get at least 51% to stop Panyaza Lesufi and Paul Mashatile from taking over with Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu.
I’m torn between voting for the DA or one of the smaller parties that seem to have fresh ideas, such as Build One South Africa and Rise Mzansi. My reasons for voting DA:
1. It is the largest opposition, and there’s an argument for having consolidated support in opposition to the ANC.
2. It has a track record of governance, and having that represented at a national government level may bring some of the service delivery that is needed so badly.
3. It has spearheaded what seems to be a serious attempt to think about how coalitions should function in a post-anc majority government.
My reasons for wanting to deny it my vote:
1. Its stance on international relations is aligned with the West. It is happy to call out Russian aggression, but its stance on Israel reeks of hypocrisy.
2. Its seeming inability to develop or maintain black leaders makes me question its internal workings and culture.
3. The Multi-party Charter (MPC) has a lot going for it, but seems to have shot itself in the foot. Having a significant share of the vote but also agreeing not to work with the ANC means the DA will have to choose between abandoning the other MPC parties to join a coalition with the ANC.
In short, the DA is the best option on paper, but there’s a bad taste in my mouth giving it my vote.
Himal Kooverjee