I did not vote in 1994. That was the last year i was too young for anything. What I do remember about that year was the tangible atmosphere of hope. Wide eyed and as my eyes were opening to the workings of the world, they were discovering a new world. A new South Africa.
People were excited, finally they could speak their mind, describe their pain. The infamous activities of Political “rebellion” were finally characterized as heroism. You could not help but be proud to be a black man. #Brenda Fassie’s song “Black president” was not only unbaned but seemed to be one of the great anthems of the day.
Black men and women were finally afforded the right to exercise the most basic and powerful right in a free state. The right choose, the right to vote. With that women were choosing to wear pants, yes not so much before. black and white to get married. Freedoms spread beyond political to social, religious and expressions. Thus the power of that simple cross afforded us the opportunity to break the back of slavery and walk into a new world. Through that choice South Africans put the ANC into power and began a new walk of “free from” to “free to”. We have been defining this route with many corrections on the way. I am proud to be part of this journey and want to remind my fellow brothers of the power of their choice.
It seems almost twenty years from that day we have forgotten that it was not a party but the will of the people and the choice of the majority that made a change. We seem to have donated our ability to think, learn and enquire to those who are in leadership.
In true democracy every man and women is taught to think for himself or herself. -- Mohandas Gandhi
It's time for us to re-activate our imagination! To remember and imagine that your vote is a key that you borrow to another for them to open a door, then they borrow another to open the next door. Without your vote progress is halted. We therefore have to be careful whom we hand that key, what will they do with the responsibility you give them?
To take the metaphor forward I would like to refer to events that occurred in our youth. Many times before the age of catering companies. Black people in our communities would borrow each other fridges, eating utensils, plates etc
Naturally you would borrow depending on event, a wedding or family celebration meant you ask your neighbor to accommodate your cold foods and hand the person your freezer. If a wild party or selfish kind of event you would not support. In other words for something to happen in our country we land power, ability and sacrifice to our leaders. We do that through our vote. At the end we need to Asses if our “ability” was well used and if not, you don’t deserve the ability, tax or vote I also desperately need.
My encouragement is get involved in your community so you can be aware of what you can help with, in that way you are able to speak to government in a constructive informed manner. Not merely asking for perks and entertainment, which only dull our creative ability to solve problems.
Your Vote is powerful, don’t give it to a party, rather borrow it to a vision that is opening the right doors. A vision that is moving in the direction of your convictions, not someone who gives your promises rather an opportunity to do things yourself. Be a scholar of freedom.
“You must decide if you are going to rob the world or bless it with the rich, valuable, potent, untapped resources locked away within you.”
― Myles Munroe, Understanding Your Potential
