Made my cross, got the T-shirt

While shopping for some winter clothing, I again realised how complex a procedure buying an outfit actually is.

I watched as people carefully selected garments, holding them up against their bodies in front of a mirror, tilting their heads slightly, tucking at it and putting it back on the rail, just to repeat the process all over again.

Then, eventually, when they have selected a few items, they go to the change room. I’m not privy to what happens in that little cubicle, but know that’s where the final decision is made. And looking at some of the outfits, I wonder about their taste.

Nevertheless, one garment is selected while the rest are handed to the attendant to be put back on the shelf. The garment is paid for and with a spring in their step, the shopper goes home.

The procedure reminded me very much of our elections and got me wondering: are we not doing this whole voting thing completely wrong? Should we not approach elections like shopping?

Before every election, we consider which T-shirt we will be wearing for the next five years. There are blue ones and red ones and green ones and all different multicoloured ones.

Most are just left hanging on the rail, but we select a few to hold up in front of a mirror, imagining how they will fit. Then we walk into a little voting cubicle, we choose which T-shirt we are buying and off we go.

Problem is, we have to pay that T-shirt off over the next five years – at a price determined by the party.

Consider this: about 10 million people voted for the ANC last time round and got their T-shirt. By many accounts, that same ANC has looted about R1 trillion from the state coffers. That works out to R100 000 per T-shirt.

I don’t know about you but for me, that’s slightly overpriced.

In October this year, we will again be buying T-shirts. There will again be a whole array to choose from. Let’s think very carefully which one to buy and what it will end up costing us.