The official election date has finally been announced as May 7 countrywide and lo, that is the day that will spell out the fate of many a political party as voters mark their crosses on the ballot papers.
This is the day when, if you haven’t done your homework in luring voters to your side, you are headed for failure. It is also the day that will pave the way for newer political parties into the echelons of power, only if the electorate still remembers their promises.
Of much concern, lately, is the extent of service delivery protests in all provinces, not only from municipalities controlled by the ruling party, but all the others except a few isolated places, as in some areas of KwaZulu-Natal.
My biggest concern is the rising spate of police brutality against the protesting communities. A colleague recently whispered into my ear, “For those of us who weren’t around about 30 years ago, we didn’t know how harsh police brutality was against black communities during apartheid, but now we’re seeing it on a daily basis all over the newspapers and electronic media.
I don’t understand the reason for carrying live ammunition when you are just supposed to be going there to quell tempers and crowds. Why can’t the police carry rubber bullets and teargas and water canisters to control the crowds, rather than killing them?
It seems justifiable from the powers that be who only now realise why the apartheid government was using its dirty tricks to uphold the system, as they are allowing it to go on, despite its arousing old, sad and brutal memories.
Yes, understandably so, that some quarters purport to know the perpetrators of such protests, which are its disgruntled members, but, the aggression is directed at innocent communities who are being used by all forces, all with the promise of a better life for all, no matter on which side of the political spectrum one stands.
If you are the kind of party that is gunning for seats in order to enjoy the liberty of this democracy, then you are in the wrong country. We need men and women who will wield their political power into effecting change where it is needed.
You must seriously take ordinary people into consideration when standing up in podiums to pronounce your manifestos which should be as practicable as possible. You should think of the vast inequality that has taken us through the 20 years of democracy, with a few still beating their chests and still clinging to power, while have-nots languish in poverty, joblessness, lack of housing and economic opportunities which are preserved for the privileged few.
The time to change for the better, is now, or else you can kiss your luxurious life goodbye.
