Johannesburg - Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane on Saturday appealed to those who “have given up hope” to register and vote in this year’s local government elections.
“Your vote matters, and your vote can be the difference between a new, fresh, clean, and citizen-orientated government, or five more years of the same,” he said after re-registering at Allen Glen High School in Roodepoort, Johannesburg.
“Here in Gauteng, the ANC barely won a majority in the last election - with just 53 percent of the vote. The stakes have never been higher,” Maimane said.
“This weekend, all across the country, millions of South Africans will register to vote in this year’s local government elections, and in doing so will secure their right to shape the future of our country. This year’s election is about what kind of future we want, and it is about undoing decades of neglect and inequity.”
This weekend was significant for first time voters, many of whom were born after 1994, who would register and have their voices heard come election day.
Young South Africans had become the “casualties of the current ANC government” and taken the brunt of its bad governance, he said.
“Many young South Africans are now realising that they have the power to create change, because governments don’t change by protest, and governments don’t change by violence. Governments change by the vote.”
It was also significant for older South Africans who had previously given up hope, but now saw the need to vote to help create the South Africa they wanted to leave for their children and grandchildren.
“Those who have realised that our country is headed in the wrong direction under the ANC, and recognise that through their vote, they have the power to place South Africa back on the right course.”
Saturday was a significant day because it marked the beginning of a power shift in South African politics and South African history, Maimane said.
“South Africans are fed up with the status quo. More corruption, fewer jobs, less service delivery, and ultimately a poorer quality of life - all brought by an ANC led by one man who cares more about himself than this country.
“That is why the ANC is on the decline, and the DA is growing in each and every election. And that is why come election day this year we will see a power shift in Nelson Mandela Bay, in Tshwane, in the City of Johannesburg, and the DA on the rise in all municipalities across South Africa.
“That power shift begins with registering today. Registering to win, and registering to bring about a South Africa where the values of freedom, fairness, and opportunity are experienced by every South African,” Maimane said.
African News Agency