Vote DA!

Well, yesterday was pretty shitty - my American Summer Camp application was rejected largely because my listed skills were too "cultural," and the con-artists at Youth Discovery Programme won't refund me my R500 interview fee (which I was forced to pay upfront) despite the fact that I didn't even reach the interview stage. Fuckers...

Anyway, yesterday did at least include one bright sparkling moment. I went to my first ever political meeting to hear Helen Zille, the leader of the DA (Democratic Alliance) speak in Westville. Now, normally politics doesn't feature at all on this blog, but seeing as we're now less than a week away from what is probably South Africa's most important election since our first proper democratic one back in 1994 (when ALL adult South Africans could vote for the first time), I thought I'd make an exception.


For the record I was largely inspired to go to the meeting after watching last year's American elections with much interest, and then, of course, Obama's inauguration. I've also been following the DA and Helen Zille on Twitter for some time now.

I am of course a registered voter, who has cast my vote in every election since I've been able. I may be hopelessly disillusioned about this country at the moment (I really do think I need a good long break from the violent, soulless "here" to get some perspective) but I'm also a firm believer that you have no right to comment and complain about South Africa if you are not participating in its democratic process. South Africans get screwed all the time by politicians, and their power-hungry lackeys (*cough* Mike Shitcliffe) and elections are our one chance to exert some power and say of our own, and replace these ineffectual, divisive morons with good candidates... who get results.



And it's the fact that they actually get results, that I'm voting for the DA. As opposed to a lot of other opposition parties, who simply bitch and complain and point fingers at the ANC without accomplishing anything (which admittedly the DA used to do a lot), the DA today actually runs a metropole which it won in the last elections - the city of Cape Town. Most importantly, the DA runs it well! And for me, personally, actions always speak louder than words, or, rather, gloriously empty promises.

Lindiwe Mazibuko, a KZN provincial DA nominee (who you may have seen on DA posters) speaking at the podium after other local party figures, Mike Ellis and Rafeek Shah:

Recently the DA has come up for a lot of criticism for its last minute run of "Stop Zuma" posters, and claims that Helen Zille is fearmongering to win votes instead of outlining what her party is going to do.

Listening to this little woman (dressed casually in a DA T-shirt and jeans) speak, although she does make reference to the concept of a failed state, she is in no way pushing the pessimistic view that South Africa is heading the way of Zimbabwe. The most she does is outline certain warning signs by pointing out some of the more nefarious things the ANC have been up to recently. And it's not as if most of us haven't heard about these activities anyway.



Zille also does not neglect to outline the intentions and goals of the DA. She doesn't make empty promises about free homes, water and electricity for all. Rather she describes gradual steps to healing the Rainbow Nation, starting with constitutional changes that free the National Prosecuting Authority from the control of the president's office, allowing corrupt politicians to then be prosecuted by an independent judiciary for the first time - instead of being protected by their slimy politician buddies.

Once corruption has been rooted out, proper work to improve the country can begin, with leaders at all time accountable to the people thanks to the democratic process. If politicians do a bad job, regardless of what party they're from, the people are encouraged to vote for, and replace them with, a better candidate.

Basically the DA presents the argument that liberation parties make lousy democratic governments because due to the nature of their ascent to power (typically by seizing it through violence and intimidation), they typically have no respect for democratic process once in control. The DA by comparison believe fully in the democratic process, and seek to reinforce it so that people feel free and safe to vote for any candidate they want.

It's an inspirational message and Helen Zille is an inspirational woman: a truth talker, not a scaremonger.

So, yes, if any of you care, this is my little ol' blogger endorsement of the DA, a genuinely multiracial party that produces results. I hope they do well and achieve their goals of winning the Western Cape province, and preventing the ANC from getting their national two-thirds majority, which would allow Zuma and his cronies to change the constitution to their advantage.

I really don't want to live in a country where the rules are set by a man who slipped free of 800+ corruption charges, cheated on his wive/s with an HIV+ woman, believes showers after sex can stop the spread of AIDS, and is a populist leader who will do and say anything to keep his followers happy - including declaring that as a white English speaker I'm not a "true" South African. Then consider that this leader has a loudmouth racist sidekick who considers black people who support the DA to be "Helen Zille's garden boys," and the future doesn't look too rosy.

So vote DA. Don't waste your vote on the hundreds of other small opposition parties who have proven nothing and are capable of little because of their tiny support base. And don't vote for COPE, which is nothing more than the old fart ANC who helped South Africa slip into its current state of mediocrity and lawlessness over the past 15 years, and who are now desperately trying to cling to power seeing as they're suddenly outside Jacob Zuma's inner circle.