Let's Talk: Voting for the first time and the problem with elections 🇿🇦

Good morning/afternoon/ evening, you beautiful people! 

It's my birthday month! 🎂I am turning 22 on the 18th of this month and it's a new and exciting era as I am getting deeper into my twenties and I am thinking about the adult that I would like to become. The month of May, well I did not journal as often as I should have and I don't remember much about the month. Or rather I do not wish too🧐, I need to journal about this! 😂

The month of June is always a month that I take with such earnesty and reflection. June is Youth month in South Africa, which is a month to commemorate the slaughtered youth of our country who paved the way for the freedom that we, as black people experience daily. 

I voted for the first time on Wednesday and it was quite the experience. I knew exactly who I wanted to vote for and why I wanted to vote for them and that made all the difference.

 I realize that there is a huge shaming culture when it comes to those who do not vote in South Africa. I am firmly against this because I believe that everyone has the right to vote or to abstain. Freedom is a basic human right and being bullied into doing something that you do not feel ready for, is what I believe to an abuse of this right of freedom of choice. I believe that anyone who is a citizen of this country has the right to complain, critic and praise our politicians. That's what freedom is, it is having choices and not being bullied when the choice does not favour a particular cause. Looking at statistics, those did not vote did not even register. Which does not come as a surprise because not enough was done actively, on the ground to encourage registration and make the process smooth and easy for citizens. 

Many people need to understand who they are voting for and that process does not begin 3-6 months before elections. What are the marketing teams of these political groups doing? Citizens have lost trust in them, the most basic thing to do would be to work on earning it back, throughout the 5 years. Then ensuring that citizens understand the importance of registering.

In my opinion, what's missing most in our country is education but not just education but a method of informing all of our citizens. A job that I would gladly take on! A middleman whose job is to hold the government accountable, whilst thoroughly informing our citizens of their rights, privileges and responsibilities. 

Question of the week: How long do you think Eskom will hold out for before bringing back loadshedding? 

What changes would you like to see in our country 🇿🇦? 

All my love ❤️

Ruthy