Elections: what people are saying

GroundUp spoke to people about the elections, asking whether they would vote, who they would vote for and why. This is the first of a series GroundUp will be running.

Many people were unsure about voting, others said they wouldn’t bother going to the polls, while some were clear about who they will be supporting.

Thandeka Ngoqo, from Langa: To be honest, I didn’t want even to register to vote, but a friend of mine pulled a guilt trip on me, about me wanting to make a change and how voting is the only platform I can do that from. I am not sure which party I will vote for, but for now let’s say I will vote for the ANC. The ANC brought about change, even though currently the uniting spirit is dead because the ANC has lost focus.

Olwethu Ndoni from Paarl: I won’t be voting for any political party because I am not convinced that they are there for the people. Whatever service delivery they are doing, it’s not for the benefit of the majority but the minority. They are good at delivering good speeches and promises in the hopes that we would be taken in by the power of words but in fact we see what is going on. Nkandla and e-tolling are a great example of how our country is malfunctioning and we are totally ripped off while our eyes are wide open. Unemployment, the level of poverty and those small RDP houses which beg the question whether our system is failing us or making us feel like we are being cared for when we are really not. There is a huge gap in our society that divides the working class and the people in parliament. Let’s not go into the crimes committed by members of our own ruling party, the president even! So no, I’m sorry, I will have a big party on election day.

Lucia Kula from Khayelitsha: I’m not much into politics, so I don’t know which party I’ll be voting for. It was my first time registering and I was asked to do so by my sister. I honestly don’t even know what is happening in terms of elections.

Wandile Sili from Gugulethu, who would be voting for the first time: I’m not voting, I didn’t register. I don’t have hope and I don’t see how my vote will matter. If I had registered I would probably vote for the EFF, I feel like they are capable of bringing about change in this country.

Jeffrey Sili from Gugulethu: I will not vote because nothing really changes. The party in power, which is the ANC, always does the same thing, going to townships and promising better services, with the DA always lagging behind. As for the rest of the parties, they should make an effort, present themselves to the people all around South Africa not just their provinces. I am not going to vote.

Andiswa Dlokolo from Gugulethu: I will vote for the ANC, because that is what I know. Though they are no better, I will stick with them because I don’t trust the other parties. I don’t see myself voting for anything else. DA equals apartheid, and EFF, Agang and the rest are just jokes. Politics for me are way too complicated and I’m just fed up with all the empty promises.. I think I’d rather not bother, I’m leaving SA anyway.

Thobela Mosoli from Gugulethu: I am going to vote for the ANC, not because I like Jacob Zuma but because I don’t want to be ruled by DA and surely not by the EFF. If EFF ruled nothing in this country would be right and the world would be upside down. On the DA, I don’t want to be ruled by whites or coloureds. I believe Helen Zille will only take care of the white and coloured communities. Zille is just using the black people to get votes, and if the DA were to win blacks would take the backseat and the whites who are currently taking the backseat would go to the front. I believe that Zuma is not doing much of a good job but he’s doing better than others would.

Nonceba Pikisani from UWC : I honestly don’t know who I am going to vote for, but I did register to vote. For publicity all these political parties promise good services , they promise many things which they fail to deliver after the voting.

Sinawo Jack from Fish Hoek: I am not sure if I am voting for ANC or the DA. I might vote for ANC because of Nelson Mandela’s legacy and the 20 years of democracy. But then the problem is the corrupt President Jacob Zuma. If they can remove him from that position, I would gladly vote for the ANC.As for the DA, I’m satisfied with their service delivery and they are transparent when it comes to money but I am scared of having a white person ruling South Africa again.

Unathi Zengezi from Makhaza, Khayelitsha: am voting for the EFF because I think it has a chance to change the country. I know they won’t win but I want them to be a strong opposition party against the ANC and DA . The ANC has been running the country for 20 years and there has been little change in the standards of living. Most people are still living under the bread line while ANC officials benefit from tenders and corruption. Basic services are still not getting to the people. All in all it has failed black people in this country. The DA does not care about black people at all. Cape Town is the most unequal city in the country and all you have to do in order to see this take a drive along the N2.