Elections 2024: ‘X’traordinarily mighty tool

It’s very rare that the leaders from the country’s three biggest political parties – the ANC, Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – agree on anything.

Yet this weekend, as they held their final rallies ahead of Wednesday’s general election, they agreed on the same thing – the people now have the power… the power to vote in a government they want to take them forward.

Unacceptable crime levels, the high unemployment rate, debilitating load shedding and brazen corruption have left the majority of the country disillusioned. On Wednesday, every registered voter has the chance to make a difference with their X on the ballot paper.

Political parties know this, and hammered home the point this weekend. President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Saturday at the ANC’s final rally at FNB Stadium in Soweto: “Our people will decide whether our country continues to move forward with the ANC to a brighter future or turns back to a terrible past.”

ALSO READ: WATCH: Ramaphosa makes last pitch to voters ahead of 2024 elections

John Steenhuisen, leader of the official opposition DA, said in Benoni yesterday: “The people of South Africa will write this new chapter by picking up a pen inside of a voting booth and using that pen to draw their three sacred crosses on the ballot paper.

“Remember this when you enter the voting booth over the coming days as you are about to vote: look at that pen in your hand and reflect on the fact that with that pen you will personally write the chapter of South Africa that is to come. You will be making history and the choice you make with pen in hand is a serious, serious decision because this is a serious election.”

EFF leader Julius Malema said in Polokwane on Saturday: “Now, the people of South Africa must decide if they want unemployment. They must decide if they want load shedding. They must decide if they want to remain landless. The people of South Africa, it is now in your hands. We live here very proud that we did everything to make our generation very proud.”

The power is in the voters’ hands.

ALSO READ: WATCH: DA leader John Steenhuisen tells voters ‘help is on the way’