Election fever has enveloped South Africa, accompanied by slander, innuendo and fiery, spine-chilling rhetoric,which in some cases violates freedom of speech.
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Freedom is not licence.
With each and every right comes an equal and concomitant responsibility.
When you fail to assume those responsibilities, sooner or later you will also forfeit your right.
We can no longer blithely dismiss that what happens in the inner sanctums of power has little to do with our personal lives.
It is, indeed, a Shakespearian tragedy that millions of our citizens have not registered to vote, while millions do not even bother to vote.
Our voter participation remains amongst the worst in Africa.
The idea of choosing civil discourse to resolve collective issues rather than conflict and violence is our only option.
Many citizens choose not to vote, not because of cynicism or alienation from the political process, but because that segment of the public simply does not care about the outcome.
The critical times we are entering are urgently calling out for positive leadership; one that connects community and country, as we attempt to deal with the political storms and stresses that affect each of us and necessitate action from all of us.
Should you choose not to vote during the crucial upcoming elections, you will have no right to complain.
You are part of the problem and not part of the solution – then you get the government you deserve.
Voting is a choice, silence is approval; leaving it to others to decide the critical issues at stake.
No matter whom we vote for, the simple act of casting a ballot more than sends a statement beyond favour or protest.
If we want responsible governance, we need to provide responsible citizenship.
We must first and foremost lead by example, lest we lose our credibility because we cannot walk the talk.
By not registering to vote, and by ignoring democratic elections, we become derelict in our electoral duty.
We dishonour those who sacrificed their lives to protect our rights and our democratic freedom.
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