On Wednesday more than 27-million South Africans, who have registered as voters, will participate in national and provincial elections to democratically elect a government of their choice. This is a right that was earned through an intense and prolonged struggle against white minority rule that had oppressed the black majority in our country. We should exercise the right to vote wisely.
Defend our Democracy, a national movement of civil society organisations, appeals to all registered voters to exercise their democratic right by voting for a political party or an independent candidate of their choice.
Employers must give employees who are working on election day time off to exercise their democratic right to vote. South Africans must reaffirm our unwavering commitment to a free, fair and peaceful election. There can be no excuse for any violence or the disruption of the electoral process. We call on all sectors of our society to uphold the integrity of the upcoming elections.
Defend our Democracy appeals particularly to independent candidates and all leaders and members of political parties to ensure the success of the elections. This can be done by ensuring that leaders and their members abide by the rule of law, including recent judgments by the Constitutional Court relating to electoral matters. Elections are meant to be fiercely contested. This is the essence of the democratic process. However, this should not result in spurious disputes over electoral results simply to cause chaos or to further narrow party-political agendas.
We call on all political parties and candidates to put the interests of the country and its people first. Parties and candidates who are contesting must adhere to the Electoral Code of Conduct. The code prohibits violence and intimidation and prevents signatories from abusing positions of power or privilege to influence electoral outcomes.
We believe civil society, community leaders and civic organisers have an important role to play over the next few days. Voters must in no way be prevented from casting their ballots due to protest action that some groups or individuals may be planning. We understand the right of communities to raise their issues. At the same time, communities must stand united to ensure that the right to vote is respected, even by aggrieved people. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) should be alerted if voting is disrupted in any locality.
Defend our Democracy expresses its gratitude to several thousand South Africans who responded positively to our call to become independent, civil society observers of the election process at polling stations countrywide. They give meaning and substance to our call for the thirtieth year of freedom and democracy to be marked as the “Year of the Active Citizen”.
Through the Election Watch observer campaign, Defend our Democracy commits to conducting electoral oversight work that is politically non-partisan, independent and neutral. Members of the public who have not registered as observers are encouraged to use social media to share their voting day experiences. You may use #ElectionWatch in posts so that we can track your reports nationally and gain greater depth to our understanding of the elections throughout the country.
Beware of fake news, misinformation and any potential attempts to incite violence. Members of the media have an important role to play in these times. They should ensure accurate and fair coverage of the elections, both in congested urban and far-flung rural areas. Media institutions should jealously guard their independence when reporting on political parties and candidates and their campaigns.
The IEC has successfully run provincial and national elections since 1994. It must strive to maintain this confidence that our people have in its ability to conduct free and fair elections. Over the next few days, it must ensure that its permanent staff and all contracted employees uphold the integrity and professionalism that it has consistently demonstrated over the past three decades.
As we enter the fourth decade of our democracy, we acknowledge the strides made in transforming South Africa from its apartheid past to a constitutional democracy. We must, however, also recognise that our democracy has been eroded through state capture, corruption and administrative malfeasance. Voters will now have the ultimate say over the future political trajectory of the country. If they place their trust in one political party over another, we should respect their judgment. Similarly, if they do not give a political party a clear and simple majority, their wishes must still be respected.
This may mean that they prefer their affairs to be governed through a power-sharing model. If this is the case eventually, coalitions should be built on policies and principles that will take the country forward. It simply cannot be about political parties squabbling for positions and trading for portfolios, as has been demonstrated in several municipalities over the past few years. Defend our Democracy demands that all coalition agreements, if any, be made publicly available so that political parties and their public representatives who may come into office can be held to account for their actions and decisions over the next five years.
By this time next week, South African voters will have joined billions of voters across about 60 countries participating in elections globally. Our country has time and again demonstrated its ability to successfully navigate such critical political moments. This time round, the hour calls for us to unite about a common commitment to a vibrant and durable democracy emerging from peaceful, free and fair elections.
• Popo Molefe is a national committee member of Defend our Democracy.
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