Marikana was last straw
Omar Badsha told DOREEN PREMDEV why he would not be voting for Zuma & Co
HISTORIAN, political activist and photographer Omar Badsha will not be casting his ballot for the ANC.
He has voted in every election since democracy and this year will be no different.
He is registered to vote and will make his mark on May 7.
“I am one of the signatories of former intelligence minister Ronnie Kasrils’, Sidikiwe Vukani ‘Vote No’ campaign and for the first time not only am I not voting ANC — I will ask people not to vote ANC — but rather vote for any other progressive party other than the DA.”
He believed a large part of the ANC leadership had become distant from the electorate, corrupt or had turned a blind eye on corruption.
“The turning point for me was the Marikana massacre and Nkandla. The Nkandla saga is the latest in a line of scandals concerning the president.
“The worrying fact about Nkandla is not just the abuse of office by the president but also the efforts made by his close supporters in the cabinet and the ANC to cover up the abuse.
“The Nkandla scandal goes to the heart of the question of the president’s disregard for the constitution of the country and the office of the public prosecutor,” he said.
Badsha said he was also concerned about the govern- ment’s economic policies.
They had not addressed the issue of growing unemployment, he said.
They had failed also to do anything to curb the power of big businesses.
“The ANC has betrayed the goals of the struggle and our hard-earned freedom is being subverted to serve the interests of a small corrupt elite.
“For me, the struggle to turn the country around now lies in the creation of a united democratic front of progressive groups, civics, religious and above all trade unions to mount a multiprong strategy to force President Jacob Zuma to fight for the adoption of new economic policies and put a stop to the elite trying to erode our democracy.”
He said he was hopeful that South Africa would have a new political party in the next five years.
His wish was that the new party would work to genuinely advancing the goals of the Freedom Charter, and that it would create jobs and fight racism and tribalism.