Why I Take Voting Seriously - Mandla Magidela
Being born into Apartheid South Africa you couldn't help but notice that there was somethingseriously wrong with that society. Becoming aware of what was wrong with the Apartheid social setting made you even more curious as to the why and how about the system’s machinisations.
This kind of awareness is what rendered the majority of black South Africans politically aware and even more active than other races from a very tender age. I was not an exception to this reality as a black South African myself.
Having acquainted myself with global political history over a reasonable period of time I become
aware that history, especially in political governance will more often than not, repeat itself during
your lifetime. The pace of political change is swift and very absorbing participants and spectators
alike. So, as an active participant and an active spectator in the street level politics of my locality
I came to learn the unfading value of the ballot vote as early in life. The importance of voting can
never be overemphasised as it shall be demonstrated in the intervening paragraphs.
The current global political order advocates 5 year national election cycle in whatever government
that is said to be a modern participatory and electoral democracy. Although an election that comes only once in every five years might seem it does not have the immediate effect on the much
desired results. Contrary to this, this could have an instant impact on the desired results if practiced
correctly and consistently.
As a politically vocal individual I had to learn of ways to maximise the weight and value my vote.
The most important reason of why I take voting seriously it is precisely because it is one important
way of my decision of who gets the access to political power and political rule and to use those to
my advantage.
When I vote, I am not only voting for my government of choice, but for a lifestyle,
a value system, a socio-political and economic ideology that I strongly believe will serve best the
interests of my people at a particular historical and political period. I look at my vote from a holistic
and a societal point of view. It is not about personal choice, but about what I sincerely and honestly
believe it is for the general good of my society and for the future of my children. It is about how I
want to live my life today and most importantly, it is about the kind of society I want my children
to inherit and live in. It is about how I personally want to judge myself and how I want the future
generations and history to judge me. A single person’s vote has got so much potential power such
that if each and one of us would actually realise its true potential, there would be no need for
political parties and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to urge us to vote. It would be
something that we cannot wait to do as we build and shape our society into the future on our own
terms and specifications. This is where the crux of the actual and real power of your vote lies. It is
the ability to dictate to society about what you want and how you want it done. When one votes
a political party into office and ultimately government, it is a temporary and a highly reversible
transaction that involves the exchange of power balance. By putting them in to the levers of power,
you are borrowing and loaning politicians, bureaucrats and officials the power to do what you want
and how you want it in return for temporary political position and basic remuneration for their time,
effort and willingness to serve.
However, should I suspect or for any reason believe, that there has been dishonesty of intention,
breach of trust, and abuse of my faith by the one (s) I trust with my vote I make it a point to make
them pay dearly for such betrayal. In this way I am actually assuring that I remain the main power
broker in my relationship with those entrusted with political office and its power. It is particularly
important that when I go to vote, I always interrogate myself about why I vote. What am I voting in
each specific vote and what result do I want to achieve. This kind of interrogation keeps my voting
power in perspective and in check.
The points made above are the reason why I always take my vote seriously and the reason why do
I continue to vote whether my will is served or not. Those that serve my will in power get instantly
rewarded by continued votes to ensure they continue to do my will and serve my interest. Those who fail to deliver on my will, especially by deliberate action, defiance and bullying suffer from wrath in an unforgiving manner. I make sure that do not only change my vote for , but I personally
and actively lobby those I come to contact with daily to help me with their votes as well so as to make my vote to pack the meanest punch against those who defied my will while in power given to
them by my vote. As it easy for me to say “by the power vested in me I declare you the winner”, by the same breath I can and do declare you a loser.
As we all know that for practical and other reasons my vote does not guarantee that I get to have the person or a grouping of my choice into power.
That’s me.
This kind of awareness is what rendered the majority of black South Africans politically aware and even more active than other races from a very tender age. I was not an exception to this reality as a black South African myself.
Having acquainted myself with global political history over a reasonable period of time I become
aware that history, especially in political governance will more often than not, repeat itself during
your lifetime. The pace of political change is swift and very absorbing participants and spectators
alike. So, as an active participant and an active spectator in the street level politics of my locality
I came to learn the unfading value of the ballot vote as early in life. The importance of voting can
never be overemphasised as it shall be demonstrated in the intervening paragraphs.
The current global political order advocates 5 year national election cycle in whatever government
that is said to be a modern participatory and electoral democracy. Although an election that comes only once in every five years might seem it does not have the immediate effect on the much
desired results. Contrary to this, this could have an instant impact on the desired results if practiced
correctly and consistently.
As a politically vocal individual I had to learn of ways to maximise the weight and value my vote.
The most important reason of why I take voting seriously it is precisely because it is one important
way of my decision of who gets the access to political power and political rule and to use those to
my advantage.
When I vote, I am not only voting for my government of choice, but for a lifestyle,
a value system, a socio-political and economic ideology that I strongly believe will serve best the
interests of my people at a particular historical and political period. I look at my vote from a holistic
and a societal point of view. It is not about personal choice, but about what I sincerely and honestly
believe it is for the general good of my society and for the future of my children. It is about how I
want to live my life today and most importantly, it is about the kind of society I want my children
to inherit and live in. It is about how I personally want to judge myself and how I want the future
generations and history to judge me. A single person’s vote has got so much potential power such
that if each and one of us would actually realise its true potential, there would be no need for
political parties and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to urge us to vote. It would be
something that we cannot wait to do as we build and shape our society into the future on our own
terms and specifications. This is where the crux of the actual and real power of your vote lies. It is
the ability to dictate to society about what you want and how you want it done. When one votes
a political party into office and ultimately government, it is a temporary and a highly reversible
transaction that involves the exchange of power balance. By putting them in to the levers of power,
you are borrowing and loaning politicians, bureaucrats and officials the power to do what you want
and how you want it in return for temporary political position and basic remuneration for their time,
effort and willingness to serve.
However, should I suspect or for any reason believe, that there has been dishonesty of intention,
breach of trust, and abuse of my faith by the one (s) I trust with my vote I make it a point to make
them pay dearly for such betrayal. In this way I am actually assuring that I remain the main power
broker in my relationship with those entrusted with political office and its power. It is particularly
important that when I go to vote, I always interrogate myself about why I vote. What am I voting in
each specific vote and what result do I want to achieve. This kind of interrogation keeps my voting
power in perspective and in check.
The points made above are the reason why I always take my vote seriously and the reason why do
I continue to vote whether my will is served or not. Those that serve my will in power get instantly
rewarded by continued votes to ensure they continue to do my will and serve my interest. Those who fail to deliver on my will, especially by deliberate action, defiance and bullying suffer from wrath in an unforgiving manner. I make sure that do not only change my vote for , but I personally
and actively lobby those I come to contact with daily to help me with their votes as well so as to make my vote to pack the meanest punch against those who defied my will while in power given to
them by my vote. As it easy for me to say “by the power vested in me I declare you the winner”, by the same breath I can and do declare you a loser.
As we all know that for practical and other reasons my vote does not guarantee that I get to have the person or a grouping of my choice into power.
That’s me.
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