As South Africans get closer to the eagerly awaited elections of 2024, profound discussions about the issues that still plague the country have gained prominence.
The upcoming elections will mark 30 years since South Africans of all races voted for the first time in the country’s history.
With local parties showing visibility through different campaigns, questions and concerns have been raised by voters.
There has also been a meticulous look at unemployment, the increased crime rate, corruption, and load shedding, which are among the endless list of things that have drawn the interest of many people in the run-up to the elections.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Jozini’s local government in KwaZulu-Natal for the official opening of the Bhekindoda water system is one such occurrence that has since sparked thousands of reactions on social media.
In a video widely shared on X, Ramaphosa can be seen walking with an elderly woman and later opening a tap and washing his hands.
A user named @GuguStatu commented: “Please stop publicising this kind of thing. It’s tone deaf, Daddy. This is a basic right in SA. Let’s talk about VW and the load-shedding reasons that they want to close shop. Let’s cut a ribbon at the end of load shedding. Nothing else matters, boo.”
Another user, @SaffaZimb04, said: “Sigh. A country that could once generate electricity, run railways, airlines, post offices, armies, air forces, police forces, hospitals & schools, grow its own food, mine its own minerals, build nuclear power stations & bombs, commercially make oil from coal, now celebrating a tap.”
@bridgetbreezy2 spoke about the importance of voting wisely.
“Shameless all of them of this party, pre-elections, they do all kinds of ‘wonders’. I stored this on the X app because I knew I’d need it one day. I’ll vote very wisely next year, because my first and last vote was when I was 19.”
The conversation on voting happened days after the Electoral Commission of South Africa reported that it had interacted with 2.9 million voters during the two-day registration weekend, which took place from November 18 to 19.
The commission revealed that the majority of voters — 2.7 million — visited voting stations to register as well as update their details, with a total of 196 511 voters using the online portal to do the same.
RiseMzansi also highlighted that with most South Africans bearing the brunt of financial strains, only taking the power at the ballot paper by voting will secure a turning point.
“South African families and communities will continue to suffer deeply, so much so that millions of South Africans go to bed having had little to no food during the course of the day. The SARB’s forecast food price inflation for 2023 to remain stubbornly high at 10.6%.
“South Africans will go into the festive season with little joy but will instead be saddled by the stresses that come with increased financial obligations at the beginning of a new year, such as school fees.
“Rise Mzansi fully condemns the rand manipulation by banks, as revealed by the Competition Commission, but we caution South Africans not to believe the peddled narrative that the emergency the country faces starts and ends with this criminal act.
“Our fortunes as a country will only change when we take back our power at the ballot box by voting for ethical leaders with the answers to build the South Africa we all deserve.”
The Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za