By: Nosipho Ntombela

“I remember in 1994 when South Africa held its first general elections. The excitement I had. When in my mind I was running a race of thoughts, for the first time I would have chosen my president,” said Mama Albertina Mthembu.

It was the 27th of April 1994 when all South Africans were standing in queues waiting impatiently to vote. It was like a dream, all races including black, Indian, white and coloured people were standing n the same line with their identity documents, waiting to vote. It has been 20 years now since South Africans have been living in this so called “freedom”.

Freedom from apartheid that we lived under in the past. We thought we were enjoying being free, but we just took that freedom away from ourselves. We have allowed the greediness to embrace us. We have forgotten how it was like being abused, now we have allowed ourselves to be victims of our own. We have embraced ourselves in lies of people who freed us. Were we freed to be used, or were we freed out of caring?

Boniswa Sithole said that she believes the founders of these political parties, form their parties because they want to make a difference in people’s lives. The problem lies with other officials; they come with their own hidden agendas. They destroy both the mission and vision of the founders.

“At eKwandeni (Hammarsdale), there is a tier road that up to this day it not finished. Every time when the elections are close, we see the small change because our votes are needed. After voting nothing happens until the next elections,” said Khanyo Mkhize.

Today we have many political parties who claim they want to save us while all they want is power and money. We have turned into a money making scheme and we have been used for power gaining. In the 20 years of democracy, South Africa has had three permanent Presidents. All of them came with their ideas that we bought into. Each and every time South Africans have listened to the promises that were never fulfilled. Because of loyalty we have voted. We have voted because we know what we went through in the past, and we are scared of going back.

“They have been promising us the world, yet we have only received a coin. They knew if we see the coin then we will believe and vote, ” said Sthembile Shabalala.
We have voted and we will wait. Wait in hope that one day someone will see the tears we have shed- tears of pain that we endured because no one looks out for us. We have been betrayed by the people that we trust. So we wait and we vote.