My ANC election campaign pamphlet!

[Citizen X]

I kept the pamphlet the ANC were distributing in the last election.
I’ll place my cards on the table: I have voted for the ANC in all elections. I have since decided to never vote for the ANC again. Whilst I don’t agree with many of the policies of the DA, I'm now forced to vote for them just as a better alternative. I actually agree of 95% of the ANC’s official policies. My only gripe with them is this: There’s no sense of urgency when dealing with corruption, nepotism, maladministration and poor service delivery.
The last page of this pamphlet reads as follows:
“ Build safer and secure communities. We will establish a new modernized, efficient and transformed criminal justice system. We will increase the capacity of police through recruitment, equipping and increasing the capacity of especially the detective services and forensics. We will help form street committees to help community efforts to combat crime.”
It’s noteworthy that Mdluli, though transferred, is still making the rounds with a taint hanging over him. Bheki Cele has not being criminally charged. That character that was impersonating the singer who tried to escape from court was clearly far more fit and agile that his police pursuer. His pursuer was unfit and was even struggling to jump over the court barricades.

[Mike C]

That character that was impersonating the singer who tried to escape from court was clearly far more fit and agile that his police pursuer. His pursuer was unfit and was even struggling to jump over the court barricades.

Surely this isn't the first time you have noticed how fit our police are? I would have thought that the police would be required to undergo (and pass) a fitness test every few months in order to remain in active service ... but maybe I am just naive?

[wynn]

Aah Vanesh you will lose your religion next??

Welcome to the world of the Cynic, I would also vote ANC if I could believe anything they said or promised?

Unfortunately I don't and although at present I support the official opposition (the DA) I am not naive enough to believe they hold the answer to our problems!!

What I do believe is that the stronger the opposition the more honest the party in power!!!

[Citizen X]

Goodafternoon Wynn, Yes, it's now a situation where many of us simply want a stronger opposition....

[Martinco]

Whatever party you vote for............please just VOTE !

Do not join the ranks of the "draadsitters" and complain afterwards. As mentioned previously, the stronger the opposition, the more carefully the ruling party will treat the citizens .

[Blurock]

Vanash, I am sure even the Forum members from other countries will confirm that election promises never materialise. Politicians promise you the moon and the stars only to get votes. Once in power they appoint all their mates and deploy their cadres (sounds familiar?)

NEVER vote any party into power. Vote them out of power. Vote for the opposition. Keep a balance. ALWAYS. Unless they do a really really great job of ruling the country, which is highly unlikely.

[tec0]

Sadly voting became a useless exercise… It is a pointless waste of a perfectly good day. I rather sit at home and watch bug-eye cartoons perhaps call an old friend up for a game of darts. Maybe donate some blood and get a free soft-drink and cookies.

The truth sits in your gut… Nothing will change… And second fact is "the more things change the more they stay the same"

[Martinco]

Tec0.............this is exactly the problem........................it is NOT a useless exercise !

Let me explain. Even if your ward does not get voted outright e.g. into the local council, there is still such a thing as proportional representation which means that depending on the number of voters that your party drew in a ward, the party gets allocated a number of representatives/councillors to sit in the local council. These representatives gets chosen by the party, and not directly, but indirectly by the people.

So.............yes, YOU can make a difference !

[Blurock]

Sadly voting became a useless exercise… It is a pointless waste of a perfectly good day. I rather sit at home and watch bug-eye cartoons perhaps call an old friend up for a game of darts. Maybe donate some blood and get a free soft-drink and cookies.

The truth sits in your gut… Nothing will change… And second fact is "the more things change the more they stay the same"

You may never be passive or apathetic. That is the biggest mistake you can make. As a responsible citizen it is your DUTY to vote and to insist on clean governance. Get to know your local councillor. Remind him of election promises. Insist on things being done properly and not to benefit just a few.

I come from a time and age where a municipality worked for the benefit and the good of the community. It was an honour to serve your community as a councillor and the people were not paid. Even the major only received a small allowance for phone calls and entertainment. The mayoral vehicle was chauffeur driven and used only on official business.

It is now a political free for all where everyone is interested not in serving their community, but rather how much they can steal from them!

Do your duty young man!

[wynn]

East London is a perfect example of what Blurock has said, after the last election we were changed into a 'Metro' but it seems an honest Provincial MEC is the one who changes the status officialy and he says that the criteria have not been met and the councillors must still be paid the old rate.
The councillors then instructed the newly appointed city manager to pay R24Million backpay into their accounts which happened this month.
Now the MEC says they must all pay the money back or face the law for accepting unneccessary expenditure.
Talk about a MONKEYPALITY!!

As far as every one must vote, a few years ago one of the East London wards wound up in a dead heat and had to be decided by the toss of a coin.
The moral is that if one more person had voted it would have gone the way of that voters party and you never know when it is your one vote.

[tec0]

Again I am not that young… Secondly we experience poor service every day. Our water is undrinkable unsafe. Our Hospital has done very bad things and it all just magically went away…

I have spoken to the representatives and I find there information to be wanting their intentions unclear. Secondly in our aria the ratios are staggering!

But fear not I will do my duty and watch cartoons drink a beer stay at home… The ruling majority must demand a change as only they can. The reality is, it is there responsibility now.

My vote will be nothing more than a fart in a bottle… That is the reality of the situation....

When I objected against labour brokers I hit a wall.

I have seen how unions failed thousands of workers…

Documents leaked out to the media from large companies blatantly stating minorities will not be employed… Nothing was even done about this…. It was on TV only once!

Then the "be-gone fairy" made it all go away…

[Dave A]

One thing that SA doesn't seem to be short of at the moment is victims

[Citizen X]

It's really tragic. I do go to certain informal settlements on a daily basis, in particular, the Thembelihle informal settlement. The world they live in is truly a very horrible place to be. This informal settlement in is both extension 9, 10 and 11B in Lenasia. The one is extension 11B has close to 400 shacks. It’s the smallest of the 3 informal settlements. There’s one water tank where people queue just to get water. The kids play around filthy waste. What I have seen though is the large level of skilled individuals such as electricians, plumbers, tilers, builders, contractors, mechanics etc. What has always strengthened my resolve is this: There are many school kids and university kids that live in Thembelihe. I see them on a daily basis as they must pass my home to go to school or university. They study under such severe conditions. No light at night, only candle light, severe cold in Winter, shortage of stationery and even food but they take this in their stride and they succeed. So at times when I become despondent about studying a certain chapter and even lazy I always think of my Black brothers and sisters who are undergoing the same process but only under great hardship....

[tec0]

It's really tragic. I do go to certain informal settlements on a daily basis, in particular, the Thembelihle informal settlement. The world they live in is truly a very horrible place to be. This informal settlement in is both extension 9, 10 and 11B in Lenasia. The one is extension 11B has close to 400 shacks. It’s the smallest of the 3 informal settlements. There’s one water tank where people queue just to get water. The kids play around filthy waste. What I have seen though is the large level of skilled individuals such as electricians, plumbers, tilers, builders, contractors, mechanics etc. What has always strengthened my resolve is this: There are many school kids and university kids that live in Thembelihe. I see them on a daily basis as they must pass my home to go to school or university. They study under such severe conditions. No light at night, only candle light, severe cold in Winter, shortage of stationery and even food but they take this in their stride and they succeed. So at times when I become despondent about studying a certain chapter and even lazy I always think of my Black brothers and sisters who are undergoing the same process but only under great hardship....

Again many of the minorities suffer the same fate but strangely this is ignored. That said the same people living in those conditions have the power to change them. The fact is the majority will rule and they do.

Every hardship that is mentioned is a failed promise and they need to realise this as they are affected the most. I myself will support any team if that team is for the people and the benefit of humanity.

But please understand it is not my mind that needs changing. The majority must take the responsibility now. It is up to them. I mean no disrespect when I say this…

[Citizen X]

Again many of the minorities suffer the same fate but strangely this is ignored.

Tec0 your observation holds true. Right here in Lenasia, there are thousands of people living below the bread line. Our neighbour Ennerdale and Eldorado Park also have their fair share of poverty. There are many White people living in poverty. This is the reason why humanitarian needs are paramount for me as opposed to racial group needs. When you see a humanitarian crisis you se the human being at the epicentre of such crisis.
Another observation That I’ve made about my school going Black brothers and sisters is this. The conditions that they live under in the informal settlements is ghastly but yet their school uniforms are always clean and neat. Shoes always shining. Clean white shirts. Now, this is in stark contrast to the way my uniform looked when I was in school. I have humble beginnings and my parents, retired now, were ordinary working class people. We did however have an employee that would do the washing and ironing. Believe or not, though I left home with a clean shirt, grey pants within an hour or two of being at school, my shirt was hanging out, it looked as if it had never been ironed. My shoes were always dirty and I had that ‘you slept in the bush’ look. I never shine my shoes...