SOUTH AFRICA stands less than a fortnight from the 2014 elections which mark the fifth elections since the country attained democracy in 1994.
In order to participate in the election, parties are requested to lodge a R200 000 deposit to contest the National Assembly and R45 000 per province. With nine provinces in South Africa that amounts to R405 000.
This is why the Economic Freedom Front (EFF) took the President, Home Affairs minister Naledi Pandor and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to court in March to contest what they considered an exorbitant fee of R600 000. The High Court in Pretoria dismissed the application and EFF have since complied and paid the deposit.
According to the IEC 33 parties will go to the ballot to compete in what have been described as the most hotly-contested elections to date.
If you ask me I would say South Africans are terribly spoilt for choice. 33 parties to choose from yet some people walk around crying foul saying there is no party worth voting for! Then you have individuals like Ronnie Kasrils, the former Intelligence minister who is at the forefront of the “Vote No” campaign.
According to Kasrils, South Africans should vote “no” in support of democracy.
He is encouraging the electorate to go and essentially spoil their vote.
I reckon if you are going to spend hours in a queue you might as well exercise your democratic right, especially considering that until 1994 the majority of South Africans were disenfranchised and were not allowed the right to vote.
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Those who don’t want to vote should just abstain from the poll action. If the vote no campaign is directed at the African National Congress (ANC) and what it has now come to represent then people should not vote ANC. It really is that simple. There is no rocket science here – there are 32 other parties to vote for.
How does spoiling one’s vote ensure democracy? This campaign is acting like the electorate are now caught between the ANC and a hard place. It is true though that the ANC remains Goliath in the election stakes.
It is the party to beat. Like most parties that brought liberation to their respective countries, ANC has a strong and resolute following.
They have fielded President Jacob Zuma to run as their presidential candidate for a second term. This in itself has created an internal dilemma. There are diehard Zuma loyalists who will back him and the party versus those who love the party, but don’t want the proposed presidential candidate.
It is interesting to see how this will eventually play itself out at the ballot. For the most part I have found the opposition vote to the ANC splintered. There are just too many little parties all fighting for the piece of the pie.
I strongly believe that in a healthy democracy there is a need for a strong and formidable opposition. It serves to keep the right hand in check.
However 10 opposition parties are more favourable to 32, especially when many exhibit the same principles and goals. However in the opposition camp there are parties to pay attention to and others that can be dismissed as non entities. The Democratic Alliance (DA) led by Helen Zille has always been a radical opposition to the ANC.
It has tried to gain political inroads by colouring the party black despite having a white exterior. What I always find interesting about the DA is that despite having a large white electorate you only get a drop of white faces at political rallies.
If anything it’s blacks who are toyi-toying and campaigning radically. I guess for the white folk it’s enough for them to go and vote at the ballot box. No need to risk being sunburnt at political rallies. It is for this reason why most fail to take the DA seriously saying the black faces are for window dressing and nothing more. Enter into the fray the Julius Malema’s EFF.
The party claims to have a membership of three million, gained a lot of political traction among the poverty downstricken elements in South African society. Malema is now the Robin Hood for the growing disgruntled masses. He is indeed a gifted political orator and is a voice for the voiceless.
I have a strong feeling that he will land in Parliament and provide some much needed robust debate.
However, I feel his presidential ambitions are rather premature. So are his grandiose plans outlined in the manifesto which would certainly bankrupt the entire country.
But who knows; even I stand to be corrected! So we will watch with abated breath as the electioneering heats up with nationwide campaign trails and fierce television debates. I am keen to see how the SA election story will unfold.
Sue Nyathi is the author of the novel The Polygamist. You can follow her on Twitter @SueNyathi
