[Question] Would any sane person vote for the ANC

[Butch Hannan]

The local elections are upon us again. The ANC will be returned to power. This defies all sensible logic when one considers their dismal performance as far as service delivery is concerned. Are the people who vote for the ANC sane or just very badly informed of what should be!!
It is time that the politicians are made accountable to the people and not a political party.

This is another piece that I wrote:

CONTRACT FOR POLITICIANS

Would we have politicians if we made them sign a contract for our vote? This contract could take the following format.
“I Joe Politician for your vote Joe Voter undertake to do the following for you:-
a. I will not sleep in Parliament.
b. I will not submit false claims to get extra money.
c. I will stop all bribery, corruption and graft in our country.
d. I will make sure that everyone who wants to work will get a job.
e. I will make sure every family will have a house.
f. I will eradicate all crime.
g. I will make sure that everyone will have access to decent and affordable health care.
h. I will sort out the education system.
Should I Joe Politician within six months have failed to achieve all the above I will resign my position and will not be entitled to receive any gratuity of any nature whatsoever?

Signed Joe Politician------------------ Signed Joe Voter---------“

Would we still have politicians? This is a wonderful pipe dream.

[Justloadit]

So why do you not approach your local councilman and propose him/her to do this?

Put up signs on pole asking people to request this from their government officials. Just talking about it on this forum and doing nothing further about it will remain a pipe dream. Action and one can realise your dream.

[ChrisNG53]

Would any sane person vote for the ANC

The answer is Yes. Black voters are sane ... and have political nouse.
The reason they vote ANC is that -
1. it is their "natural" political home as SA is still in a process of revolution. By this is meant that the effects of apartheid are a long way off from having been redressed.
2. The fact that the ANC itself is largely responsible for this state of affairs is not appreciated ...
3. ... and part of the reason for this is that there has been simply no "true reconciliation" between Black, White, Coloured and Indian
4 ... and a huge part of the reason for that is what I have posted at - http://coginito.blogspot.com/2010/12...l-said-it.html. You simply cannot expect Black folk to have the same political perspective as long as there has been no true reconciliation ... and for this Whites are, with respect, in a state of denial
5. .... that is why Helen Zille's achievements in the Western Cape are so important ...as it is a real start to true reconciliation
6. Added to the problem is that, under AA and BEE, racism is now "embedded" in the national psyche in terms of a subconscious - "Black good, White Bad, Coloured/Indian/Chinese, not so good" inarticulate basic premise

So , for the foreseeable future, it is never going to be about political accountability but about "identity politics". Black folk absolutely know all the ANC's failings. However, until we become a nation they will continue to run with the ANC and seek to settle things "in house".
All this veneer of "Rainbow Nation' and "proudly South Africa" is actually a sick joke - not reality.

[wynn]

Black folk should be asking the question "Who are these politicians? and what have they done to the ANC?"

[Dave S]

Sane people do vote for the ANC, don't confuse 'sanity' with 'propoganda'. It is in the ANC interest to continually bombard the TV channels with 'old apartheid' events. This is clearly to continue the 'brainwashing' and to nurture a resentment toward white race groups. Call it distrust if you want, but it certainly works at ensuring the ANC stays in power.

[wynn]

There is revolt in the Eastern Cape, they want the names they nominated put forward, not some person they don't know imposed on them?

[William Wallace]

It is all about the money and has nothing to do with service delivery. All the performance standards that THEY have signed will fall by the wayside.

[tec0]

Politics is basically an iniquitous proverb riddled with propaganda and hearsay. It is nothing more than a overstated overvalued brash stupidity branded with the words; freedom, democracy and prosperity.

The people will never win, regardless of all the speeches and promises of change the only certainty is everything will stay exactly the same. Election's is as pointless as a windshield in the deep dark ocean, it is to glorify slavery “here is your choices choose or it will be chosen for you! The actual selection was already done by powerful organisations that is indeed sponsoring your local happy political body. The agreements were made without your consent and will be forced down upon a naive public.

You say lollypop I say sucker, it amounts to the same thing. So why bicker? It doesn’t matter the master of your favoured puppet is the same. You may call this master progress, a gradual improvement on their private wealth health and power. So screaming vote for this or that will happen is an overstatement of an unimportant event.

Change is an illusion...

[solweb]

Because they have a choice.

I will not be voting ANC in the upcoming election, but that is my choice. There are a great many educated South Africans that will vote ANC, and that is their choice. And that is what a Democracy is about.

[Dave A]

And that is what a Democracy is about.

And I thought it was being able to set your own paycheck by making sure enough people know your name

As a means to break out of poverty it's way better than trying to win the lottery to make your fortune, and pays out as much or more. And enough people have figured this out to make getting onto those lists quite a scrum nowadays.

[tec0]

Democracy, Yes I understand the need. But as it stand “you have a choice” question is was it made for you?

[AndyD]

And I thought it was being able to set your own paycheck by making sure enough people know your name

As a means to break out of poverty it's way better than trying to win the lottery to make your fortune, and pays out as much or more. And enough people have figured this out to make getting onto those lists quite a scrum nowadays.

That scrum as you call it is just the somewhat disorganised queue for tickets to ride the gravy train.

[Butch Hannan]

I am fortunate that I live in a DA run ward. I have all his contact details and he is accountable to me the voter and does his job well. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for many of the other "nominated officials" Their voters need to make them sign a contract.

[Butch Hannan]

Chris,
You state that South Africa is in a process of revolution. This to me is a rather frightening thought as I can see us going the way of the rest of Africa. Unfortunately, racial hatred is fanned by rhetoric from both sides which does not bode well for this country.

I have read your blog and I will leave a reply due course for you.

[Butch Hannan]

This is of course really good news as longer as they make their nominated people answerable to them.