Voting is the only way to be heard

While these figures seem great, the confusion around where to register, as well as the address situation, has made the entire process pretty confusing for many.

With some residents opting to attend the first wave of registration on 5 and 6 March, SMSes from the IEC had many returning in April to re-register and double check their voting status. There was also quite a bit of confusion in some areas with new voting stations being erected – but the details were not communicated to residents.

In Midrand, one ward councillor said residents were also asked to go to multiple registration venues, because of equipment that was not working. While ensuring that the nation is ready for elections, and signing up residents en masse is no easy task, one would expect that simple things such as the registration venue for a particular area would be communicated in a timeous manner.

Be that as it may, I think South Africans who have registered and plan to vote in August can be proud of themselves. Yes, the process might not have gone as planned, but the fact that you are now registered and able to vote is something that should not go unnoticed.

Having your say, being heard and choosing your next leader is a great opportunity – an opportunity that many South Africans died for. We have heard many political parties saying that the people – that’s you and me – are angry. Yes, some of us are angry … but voting in August is the one way to really show the government how we feel.

Voting is the one time that we do not have someone speaking on our behalf and telling the rest of the world what we are thinking. On 3 August I plan to tell the ANC, the DA, the EFF and every other political party out there exactly how I feel. I will do this by casting my vote, having my say on who I want to lead this country and giving one party my stamp of approval. I hope you will do the same.