Sir
The Congress of the People urges the media, NGO’s, independent labour unions and community leaders to promote voter education. COPE is convinced that voters must use their votes in a predetermined and strategic manner for optimal results.
What happened at Buffalo City in the past few years is a stark reminder of how self-serving politicians in South Africa have become. The Sowetan, looking at the municipality’s financial statements for the year that ended in June, reported that former metro mayor Zukiswa Ncitha, deputy Temba Tinta and municipal speaker Luleka Simon-Ndzele shared 17 bodyguards at a cost of R7.6 million.
Splashing out on themselves is the main priority for many people seeking political office. Greed and the desire to live flamboyant and grandiose lives have made them forget about the poor who are sinking deeper into poverty.
The Minister of Finance can plead and cajole as much as he wants. He will not succeed. Public representatives, appointed to top posts by the ruling party, instantaneously turn their attention to limousines, bodyguards, hotel stays, travel and all the perks of office to achieve self-gratification. It is happening everywhere. It is happening all the time.
Ruling parties with overwhelming majorities quickly forget about voters.
That is why we are urging voters to start gathering in discussion groups right away to discuss how to get optimal value for their votes.
Voters must show that sovereignty belongs to the people and that it is they who will hold public representatives to account. Society is fragmenting. People are becoming frustrated and violent. Government is becoming paranoid. It is attempting to reverse all the gains of democracy. The media is under attack.
The Public Protector is denied adequate funding. Discussion in parliament is stifled. The more corruption the ruling party perpetrates, the more vicious it wants to become.
We must not allow corruption. Neither must we allow any diminution of our democracy. We must fight both together and with all the strength we can muster.
It is in our common interest to teach fellow South Africans about strategic voting so that they can retain the upper hand and keep public representatives properly in check.
What happened in Buffalo City is happening around the country.
We need to say to all of them in government, ‘enough is enough’.
Dennis Bloem
