Tomorrow is voting day! This is a marvellous day to all South Africans because we are given the chance to better our country’s future (70%) and also because we get the rest of the day off (30%). And to all those lazy morons who did not register because “the ANC will win anyway,” the score stands at 0% - 100%.
As you all may know, race is a sensitive subject in SA. And I hate it when people leave out certain racial-groups when addressing a large group. So to be PC I will now indirectly quote the most PC girl I know, Lady Gaga in order to address hopefully everyone: No matter black, white or beige, Chola (according to Wikipedia refers to people of Mexican descent) orient made, all South-Africans (well, the 23 million who has registered) will be braving the cold and long queues to make a cross next to who they think should represent their local government.
I just know that the largest part of the crowd I will be surrounded by (white bourgeoisie’s aka spoiled students) in the Hatfield area, is going to make use of the opportunity of waiting in line and complain about everything. Topics might include: Having to wait in the queue (somehow this is always the IEC’s fault); How they struggled to wake up early with a throbbing hang-over; How the ANC and its supporters (while they then subtly point to their arm while raising a stating eyebrow) are to blame for all our country’s problems.
Despite this discouragement I am still looking forward to knocking on my neighbour’s door (we planned on confronting this obstacle together), grabbing a Wimpy coffee (man, I hope they’re free again this year!) and heading to the voting station.
I have been following almost every article, comment piece and television report leading up towards elections day (tomorrow if you haven’t gathered yet). After being bombarded with all these messages of the different parties and their leaders I have finally made two personal conclusions about our country’s politics: First of all, man it is exciting! No other country (that I know of) has the amount of political parties taking place in an election as we do in SA. Also, no other country possesses the lack of civility, respect and maturity (I am of course referring here to Malema comparing Helen Zille to a monkey. How funny was that?) that our parties show when dealing with one and other. It sure makes for riveting television/reading.
The second conclusion I have made is that our country is crawling with personally motivated political or non-political leaders who, rather successfully, imposes their radical beliefs onto others. And to all you critics out there who are probably saying, ‘here comes some more Julius Malema disses,’ just hold on a minute. Even though I am about to roll-out the Malema card, I am also revering to other public figures who tends to misuse their influences to ‘[mis]lead’ the masses with their poorly thought through ideas. Yes, I am referring to the famous South African musician, Steve Hofmeyr.
Steve has recently taken it upon himself to act as political activist for the ‘Afrikaner’ people. Although I am an ‘Afrikaner’ myself, I would prefer not to be associated with any of Steve’s views. I personally think that he is a bit of a bombastic media-whore who thrives on attention (like Madonna during her ‘Erotica’ phase). Personal feelings aside, he has been quite verbal about Malema’s improper ‘Shoot the Boer’ song. Despite the fact that this song is demeaning and attacks a certain group in this country, it encourages violence. And Malema can try to defend the deeper meaning of the song as much as he’d like, but there are people who will take this song literally. Thus, he shouldn’t have uttered it in the first place. There is no grey area here. Now, in reaction to the ‘Shoot the Boer’ song, Hofmeyr has chosen (deliberately) to play some kind of ‘tit-for-tat’ game and responded to this song by writing a one himself that features the very controversial and racist ‘k’ word. I absolutely despise this word. No matter how you use it, there is no defending it. Whether it refers to a certain class or race it is derogative in nature and encourages separation. And more racial separation is the last thing our country needs right now. Anyway, even though Hofmeyr claims not to be racist and that he has plenty of black friends and has apologized for using this word, the damage has already been done.
If I could just send him a text saying the following: “Steve, Steeve Steeeeve Steeeeve! What were you thinking? It doesn’t matter if you have more black friends than Eminem himself, you still encouraged the use of a degrading word which indirectly will further cause racial tension. Capish?” The ‘capish’ is just for dramatic affect. So many people (more specifically whites) will listen to Steve’s music (a sad truth, I know) and also see it in a literal sense. They will interpret it only as a retaliation song against Malema and his flock, ‘the blacks.’ Steve’s attempt for justice will now go down in history as yet another celebrated Afrikaans song for its proud white extremist undertone. Just like that horrid ‘Delarey’ song by Bok van Blerk, which had the same hypnotic effect when played (people saluted and others even cried) in clubs not too long ago.
What I am trying to get to is that this is the future of our country that is being tampering with. If we will carry on being led by people with certain ideologies concerning race then we will never move from a good country to being a great country. Wow, I should become president with lines like that.
I just feel that when it comes to politics and the elections, no one (celebrity or political figure) should make a choice based on their skin colour and the ideologies behind that colour. And yes Malema, I am referring to you yelling out at the ANC rally in Soweto that the DA is a ‘white party’ and they shouldn’t vote for it. It automatically insinuates that the ANC doesn’t support white and coloured people who, if you may have not realized yet, is also living in South Africa.
The same goes to white extremist parties and their supporters who have feared the coming of a civil war ever since 1994 when Tata became president. Yes, residents and members of Orania, FF+, Ventersdorp and... my hometown of Stilfontein, I am talking to you! [He points angrily] Just face it: There isn’t going to be a war, the country doesn’t only belong to you, there are black people living here (even in your neighbourhood), they may choose to fall in love with a white (…or beige, Chola, oriental… you know the drill) person and they will sometimes earn more than you do. Deal with it!
I will close this scolding letter/blog by referring to a comment piece I discovered online by Faatimah Hendricks. In this piece Hendricks shared her wishes for a new party free of racial divide ruled by leaders with only good intentions for the country and all of its people (sounds idyllic). As this may not exist yet, we will have to be informed about what positive changes we can see when voting for the party of your choice. Hendricks closes her piece by lending advice to all of us who are voting tomorrow, “Vote with your head, not your heart.”
Now go forth and vote people!
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