Let’s keep the spirit alive

Well done to all Joburg residents who went out and made their mark – we are truly proud of you! It was lovely to see the long lines at voting stations and to be part of a community that know their voice can make a difference.

My hope now is the elections posters are taken down swiftly. Parties were very quick to litter our street polls with their posters, let’s hope they are as quick in taking them down.

After the previous national elections, I would drive around the streets and count the posters. Many were tattered and were a blight on our beautiful suburbs. It infuriated me and I was disheartened by the lack of responsibility some parties had shown.

I would also like to urge parties, as naive as it might sound, to continue serving the community. Residents stood in long lines to support you – please continue to support them. Just because the voting is over, it does not mean that politicians should abandon their promises and return to their offices, only to be seen again just before the next elections.

I hope that parties continue to be active in Joburg, whether they won a particular ward or not. Let’s not let the fight die with the last ballot, let’s continue to strive to make Joburg awesome. Let’s continue to fight for a better life, for a better Joburg and for a better South Africa.

Before our sense of togetherness dies after coming together to vote, and we crawl back behind our high walls, I would like to urge you to consider becoming part of the community. Think about joining your local community policing forum, or a residents association. Think about supporting a local charity or taking part in a clean-up the next time you see one being advertised in this newspaper. Let’s attempt to all make an effort to stay community driven. Let’s try live up to the South Africa Nelson Mandela envisioned.