Who to vote for? Hmm....

By brett Submitted on 23 March, 2009 - 09:35

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Elections are coming up in South Africa in a few weeks' time. This time it's going to be tough for me to decide who to vote for.

Mid-last year, I was seriously considering not voting. I didn't want to vote for the ANC as I don't want Jacob Zuma to be president, but there also wasn't any other party I wanted to vote for. For me to consider not voting, is quite a serious thing. After all, I worked for eight years for Idasa - the Institute for Democracy - and a lot of my work was about persuading people to participate in democratic life, by voting, but also by making their voices heard in other ways.

But since last year, things have changed quite a bit. COPE was formed -- a party created by a breakaway faction of the ANC, though I think that by now it has become more than that. It was interesting to see the party choose Bishop Mvume Dandala, of the Methodist Church, as its presidential candidate -- someone who up until now has been outside the political fray.

I'm not a supporter of COPE. I'm still suspicious that the party represents the policies and approach of former president, Thabo Mbeki. In particular, I worry about COPE's approach to HIV/Aids. But this election I think I might have to make a strategic choice, rather than vote for a party I really believe in (because there isn't one right now).

I'm not totally against the ANC at the moment. There are some good people there. I have respect for our current President, Kgalema Motlanthe, and the new health minister has been doing a lot to try and fix the messes of the past. But I worry about Jacob Zuma becoming president. I don't care that he hasn't been tried in court. From what came out in the Shaik trial, as well as many of Zuma's subsequent actions and utterances, I think he'll be a terrible president. In fact I think any politician as tainted as he is should automatically step down. And despite the new health minister's refreshing approach there are still worrying tendencies - such as the inexplicable reluctance to ensure that prisoners have access to anti-retroviral treatment. I'm also very worried by moves last week, seemingly aimed at ensuring the case against Zuma is permanently scrapped.

Then there is the Democratic Alliance, led by Helen Zille. I've never liked this party, but I have to think about whether it is worth voting for the DA, simply in order to try and increase the number of opposition MPs in Parliament. It would also be interesting to see the DA take power in the Western Cape province. I'd like to see it put its money where its mouth is, and prove (as it has argued all these years) that it can do a better job than the ANC.

The same uncertainty applies to the Independent Democrats, which is essentially a vehicle for leader Patricia de Lille. I don' t think she'd make a great president, and her leadership of her party seems rather chaotic, but she's a strong independent and critical voice in Parliament, and it's good that she's there.

So at present I'm one of those 'undecided' people that the pollsters always worry about. It's an interesting position to be in but clearly I'll have to make my mind up soon.