Voting is important as it plays a pivotal role in exercising your democratic right to choose the party or independent candidate you want to govern.
After all, their policies and mandates should align with your needs and desires as a citizen.
Everyone is affected by politics, whether they like it or not. Work and even places of worship sit with their politics.
It’s vital to exercise this democratic right because politics plays a major role in defining the direction of a country from the national, provincial and local government in aspects of the legal system, economy and social development.
Speaking of politics, it took me some time to realise the significance of why a “born free” like myself has to understand this concept. I had always pictured apartheid according to the movies I watched and the stories my grandmother told. I could never imagine living in such a time, so democracy was a much-needed remedy.
There’s a saying making rounds in the socials that 2024 is our 1994.There is a lot of injustices happening under our noses, that is why we, the youth, should not be ignorant. Nowadays, free education is not free after all. Many schools ask learners to provide papers, and this seems to be happening more and more.
If politics is not “your thing”, then think again. Universities are state owned and currently the NSFAS (state bursary) is giving underprivileged students a hard time. If you are in a private university and you think you are safe, what if Dr Blade Ndzimande deems it unaccredited the next morning?
Is the government working hard or hardly working?
Think about it. You have the right to cast that vote. We all loved playing superheroes with supernatural powers as kids, but now is the time we use our power of choice.
Think about service delivery – its either poorly delivered or not at all. Residents have to come up with funding or helping out when it comes to community projects such as a clean-up. This is neccesitiated because the respective council departments use the word “budget” to get people off their backs.
Nothing grinds my gears like corruption, especially when nothing is done about it. Even some law enforcers are crooks, soliciting and taking bribes instead of enforcing the law. And guess who condones it? Us! We seem to see nothing wrong with it.
Safety in a thing of the past in our country. The response from law enforcement depends on who you are and where you stay nowadays.
As a citizen if you do not exercise the right to choose the government of your choice, it is deemed that you are happy with the current government. In other words, they exercise that right on your behalf, which leads to the big question: Are you happy with the current government of the ruling party?
If not, then you owe it to yourself as an individual to make that better decision before someone determines your future.
It’s time to make your voice heard.
Also Read: #ELECTIONS 2024 – SUBURB WATCH: Residents of Bartlett left without power for weeks
