If the election was a fairy tale…

Here’s a confession if ever you’ve heard one: I love fairy tales. They fascinate me, and I am somewhat of an expert, having raised three beautiful little princesses.

But, being a father, I also deemed it my responsibility to raise my beauties with a very strong sense of reality. For one, there’s no point in teaching your children to be careful of strangers while encouraging them to elope with some stranger on a white stallion.

And the idea of the prince and princess living happily ever after, does not happen. Not even to the real ones.

Hence, when entertaining the girls with the age-old tales, in my version it was usually the big bad wolf that ended up living a long and prosperous life in the house that was once occupied by Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother.

Then, along came Shrek. Totally unorthodox, politically incorrect par excellence, butt-ugly, but he ends up with the girl and the keys to the castle.

Now there was a real tale.

South African politics is, in my opinion, very much like my version of a fairy tale. I do suspect that the coming elections might just see some dragons slain, while there’s always the possibility of an ogre emerging as the king of the castle.

Just imagine the turmoil in the kingdom if the crown prince’s party does not win the election outright. The crown prince might find himself banished to the tallest tower, never to be rescued.

That could then open the door for a previously banished ruler to make a spectacular return.

And who are we to say that an ogre might not step in and put the crown on his own head? One thing we must never forget, is that every now and then a kingmaker will inevitably make himself king. Something to do with human nature, I believe.

But let’s not get carried away quite yet.

Every single eligible voter in our beautiful country will combine to write the ending to this fantastical tale. We have the power to choose whether we want to live happily ever after.

And if we choose wisely, we just might not have to read our fairy tale to the generations to come by candlelight.

Danie Toerien

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