Expat voter turnout shows our democracy works

There are a number of ways to look at the increased turnout of expat South Africans abroad to cast their votes for the coming general elections.

Undoubtedly, the enthusiasm is a good indication that there is still faith in our democracy and that people can be the change they want to see, by exercising their right to vote.

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It’s also possibly an encouraging sign that many who left the country – for better economic opportunities for them and their children, or for a more stable and less crime-ridden society – may still not quite have shaken off the dust of Africa and still regard South Africa as their home.

No doubt, too, is the fact that the huge increase in foreign voter registrations – from 21 000 last time around in 2019, to more than 72 000 this year – is because many expats believe the ruling ANC is, for the first time, vulnerable… and can be kicked out of Union Buildings.

If the latter is the case, then the opposition parties can count on a sizeable chunk of those votes, as clearly the Democratic Alliance has, going by leader John Steenhuisen’s enthusiastic reaction to the voting queues overseas.

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However, what the foreign voting also shows is that the ANC is still comfortable with some South Africans having one foot at home and the other in a country overseas. This flies in the face of assertions that the ruling party is racist – because most of those expat voters are white.

The Electoral Commission and foreign offices have done a lot to facilitate the early voting – and that is to be commended.

While there are still those who argue that if you left the country, you shouldn’t have a say in how it is run, we think this whole process shows our democracy is alive and well.

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