Getting the apathetic to vote is the next struggle

Walking around the supermarket on Thursday morning was strange. Everyone looked like they had all had DIY accidents – black and blue thumbs.
There was a kind of personal pride attached to the thumb.
A bit like the primary schoolboy who proudly shows off his first ‘shiner’, much to the dismay of his poor mother who has a heart attack every time he runs onto the rugby field.
Voting in South Africa is lekker – a bit like braaing but without the fire-lighters (unless of course you are living in Alex township…).
People love to get up early, enjoying the public holiday while getting down to their voting station to wait for the IEC officials to bring ballot papers and the vote. If you are lucky the DA may give you a cup of coffee and the ANC a T-shirt. In Wasbank even the goats come around to see what is happening in the village. Sometimes they are chased away by irate hawkers intent on selling their fruit to the democracy brigade. Of course, if you are a police person you may not be too happy. You end up working a 24 hour shift – probably in some far-flung place – without too many home comforts.
And then we have those who do not vote, for several reasons, including:
1. I did not register.
2. I do not know where my ID book is.
3. Why vote? The ANC will win in any case.
4. I am not queuing for hours – I would rather watch TV. This is rather sad, and the political parties should probably tackle these issues next time round. Get the apathetic to vote and you may win… And then there is the AIC party, who no one besides the AIC has heard of. But they did get 121 votes in Endumeni – probably because their name was just before the ANC’s name on the ballot paper and the fact that their president wears Zuma-style specs. Ah, democracy – a no-good system for which there is no better alternative.