The elections are almost here and the campaigning is becoming more vigorous every day. South Africans are subjected to door to door campaigns by the different parties, which sometimes become too much to bear.
The elections are almost here and the campaigning is becoming more vigorous every day. South Africans are subjected to door to door campaigns by the different parties, which sometimes become too much to bear.
We have heard of an incident where a resident threw out members of a party who went to campaign at her house. She must have been tired of being fed all these stories.
I suspect that as the day of the elections come closer we will see more desperate and ridiculous campaigning.
The sad thing is that there are people who are gullible and are taken in, who believe the silly stories told to them by politicians.
Like the saying that 'if you vote for the white people they will bring apartheid back.'
Some people in our communities sadly believe that.
I personally think it is undermining and insulting. If you feed people in the rural areas such stories because they are not informed enough to know that you are lying, you are taking advantage of them.
These are desperate attempts to win votes by political parties.
They even disrespect family funerals and use them as campaigning platforms.
Such an incident happened at a funeral last weekend in Lusikisiki.
I was very shocked and disappointed when a member of a political party was given a platform to talk about the deceased. Instead she reminded residents about the 7 May election, saying that they should vote for her party (Umkhonto Nevili).
She reminded them how her party brought them freedom.
People were fed the story that, if they think that white people love black people just because they see a certain leader "kissing black babies on national television", it is all an act.
"When she gets home she scrubs her face six times because she had that interaction. She just wants your votes," was the party member's opinion.
Right after her the Reverend who was preaching at the funeral concurred with this story. It was very disappointing.
I was shocked that even after 20 years of freedom, people in the rural areas are taken for granted and are made to believe some parties are perfect and others are bad for them.
Sadly most of the people at that funeral believed this story, and I can assure you that lady got her votes.
That is what you can call a desperate attempt to win votes, which is really not necessary.
You would imagine that after 20 years of democracy, people would be given the space and the freedom to think for themselves and make a decision about the leader of their preference.
There is no need to feed our people untruthful stories just to get their votes.
Even if they are in rural areas and are not informed enough, they have a right to decide who they want in government.
