‘I doubt I will be able to bring myself to vote’ – Ranjeni Munusamy

Journalist Ranjeni Munusamy wrote an opinion piece in the Sunday Times indicating that she is struggling to find motivation to vote in the May 8 elections as “no political party on the ballot represents who I am or has any plan or ability to address the complex problems of our country”.

Munusamy says she has not been persuaded by arguments as to why voting is vital, saying despite wanting to have found a good reason to head to the polls this coming Wednesday she is not convinced by the “claptrap that voting is the ‘right thing to do'”.

Her view is juxtaposed with another Sunday Times opinion piece by host of new local news channel Newzroom Afrika’s Your View, Onkgopotse ‘JJ’ Tabane, whose perspective contrasts with Munusamy.

“How do you sit on your vote when so much was sacrificed for it?” Tabane asks in his column, headlined “If we don’t vote we deserve the pain coming our way”.

According to him, the existence of “embarrassing” and “crooked” politicians “is not a reason to abandon your fundamental right to determine who must lead this country”.

READ MORE: Ranjeni Munusamy blocks ‘abnormal’ and ‘abusive’ Malema

Munusamy, however, says many of those “lined up” by our political parties to represent us are an “insult to our nation”.

The journalist stresses in her column that she has “not shut the door yet” and is “reading about global thinking on democratic participation” in an attempt to find a good reason to vote.

She adds, however, that her research gave her “more reasons not to vote”.

This included a website advocating the “right not to be governed” which said that if “one participates, one condones and endorses the process, and subsequently, what those elected ‘representatives’ do and say in your name”.

“Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting evil,” the website said.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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