South African General election 2024- The importance of voting

Prior 1994 the South African white-minority population held complete power under a racial segregation system called Apartheid. South Africa was dominated by the white-minority politically, socially and economically. According to the Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica before 1948, racial segregation, sanctioned by laws, was widely practiced in South Africa. ‘’When the National Party gained office it extended the policy and gave it the name Apartheid’’. 

The implementation of the policy of Apartheid was to separate development and to incite division that classified people according to race.The classification later introduced an act that would designate people of color geographically. The act was referred to as the 1950 Group Areas Act. According to the Group Areas Act, ‘’urban areas were to be divided into racially segregated zones where members of one specific race could live and work’’. 

The Apartheid laws were challenged and eventually removed. South Africa held its first democratic election in 1994 under an interim Constitution. In hindsight of South Africa’s first democratic election, the exclusion of black people from power instigated the ‘’triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality’’ to date.

Political power

Black people being excluded from political power disadvantaged our race from participating in the democratic elections. Being unable to participate in the democratic election meant that we had no say. Therefore, this meant that we did not have a say in the decision-making affecting our country or the future of South Africa. Being excluded from voting meant that we had no say in bettering the quality of our life and the future of our generations. We had to embrace what was thrown our way and place our destinies in the hands of the oppressor. 

The exclusion of political power also meant that we surrendered our voices so that the oppressors would speak for us. We were unwillingly silenced and stripped of every form of expression just by not voting  in the democratic elections.  

Social power 

Our wealth appropriation lay in the hands of the policy that fueled division of what we had acquired generationally. Our security compromised our livelihoods and exposed our people to the bare minimum in terms of education. We forcibly inherited a spirit of limitation because of what was made available to us. It was tossed our way and no choice was given to us. To date, we are reaping the instability of the laws we were not even present when implemented. 

Economic power

We were forcibly moved and left to fend for ourselves in an economy that did not accommodate us. An economy that went out of its way to not bear witness to our value. An economy that silently wanted to kill our resilience. An economy that was designed to make us labour for our place in South Africa because it did not want us to begin with. 

Now, with everything said please go out and vote. I understand the weight on our shoulders and the daily struggles we face. Let us gather ourselves now because more than anything we know and understand our history as South Africans. 

I am not affiliated to any political party. I am affiliated to the Africans. 

Please VOTE on the 29th May 2024? 

Read Africa. Write about Africa. Put Africa first!

The hashtag to follow is #africabelongstoUS , #amplifyingvoices, #authenticstories and #voteSA  

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