Apathy will get you nowhere

FEW will forget the day – April 28, 1994 – when long queues of exuberant voters snaked their way through villages, towns and cities countrywide for South Africa’s first democratic elections. It was a sight to behold.

It is now 22 years later and only a week before a crucial municipal poll on August 3, and although the country’s election machinery appears more streamlined and better organised, huge concerns and anxieties remain on many fronts.

Not least among them are heightened tension over the recent spate of political violence and killings in several areas, including KwaZulu-Natal; disruptive service delivery protests; intensified rhetoric among political parties in the fight to control the major metros; and a disturbing rash of racial outbursts on social media which does not bode well for race relations and social cohesion in our country.

Against this backdrop, you should know that your vote on August 3 is crucial because it will help decide which candidate is best suited to make a difference in your daily life. Unlike national elections, the municipal poll has a more direct bearing on so-called bread and butter issues.

Apathy or deciding to spoil your vote, for whatever reason, gets you nowhere.

Sure, life will go on after election day, but you will have squandered your chance to have a say on issues like your rates, the delivery of electricity to your home or business, the maintenance of your roads, your water supply, proper service delivery or how to deal with illegal land occupation.

Candidates will make all sorts of promises to you before the elections. Some will put on the charm and assure you they have your best interests at heart. Yet others will try to appeal to your racial, cultural or even your religious susceptibilities to capture your vote.

So, think carefully before you make your cross. When a candidate arrives at your home to canvass, don’t just accept their word as gospel. Question them about their credentials; how they intend delivering on their promises; the frequency of their follow-up visits; and how they intend keeping ratepayers and residents better informed.

Candidates who win a majority of votes will become councillors who are there to represent your interests.

Remember that they are public servants who are accountable to you.

So make your voice heard.