COPE urges communities to let their vote do the talking
11 April 2016
Time for many forgotten communities in our country has been standing still. Some have seen no development whatsoever in their area from the dawn of our democracy. Many communities are also deeply peeved that candidates are foisted on them. Having no ties with the communities they are meant to serve, they show no commitment to them after being elected. Many councillors serve their own cause. .
Communities with deep grievances in places like Vhembe district in Limpopo, Hopefield in Gauteng, Paarl in the Western Cape, Ntabankulu and Umtata in the Eastern Cape and Umfolozi and Escourt in Kwa Zulu-Natal, disrupted the registration process over the past weekend. What adds to their misery is the injustice done to them by politicians who appear at voting time and who are not to be seen after the election results are announced. They have been bitten so many times that they are indeed very resentful of politicians coming to ask for their votes.
Disgruntled citizens have continued to take the law into their own hands. When protesting, they routinely blockading roads with rocks and burning tyres to disrupt traffic. Alternately, they resort to torching train coaches, buses and offices. Arson is the choice tool of protesters everywhere in our country. Even university students resort to arson frequently.
COPE believes that South African citizens should use their votes to register their displeasure rather than destroying property or endangering lives. They should know that politicians fear the polls more than anything else. It is the fear of losing an election that concentrates the minds of politicians. For that reason, communities should punish politicians in a manner that hurts, rather than destroying property and setting them back even more.