The Third Force. Shudder!

It’s election year in South Africa, and the polling date of 07 May has just been announced. Which means that electioneering by the opposing political parties and their henchmen kicks into overdrive. Meanwhile…

There has been a remarkable upsurge in violent protests by residents of various towns over poor to zero service delivery. You know, the simple stuff like running water, the winning party promised in the last elections but either failed to deliver for one or more reasons, or couldn’t be bothered to.

We could speculate why the government did not deliver on these services, but there is ample reason to believe (from massive evidence) that it is a direct result of corruption, nepotism and downright incompetence.

But wait for the response of the government cronies… A Third Force is involved. Yes, a Third Fucking Force. They would have us believe that the protests are not about service delivery, but that a sinister force is stoking the flames of protest and instigating people to demonstrate violently and provoking anger and resentment towards the ruling government. They don’t actually say that certain opposition parties are responsible, but they’re not exactly telling you it’s aliens from Planet X, either. The implied accusation is plain to see.

That’s pretty lame and unimaginative coming from the current government. The previous apartheid regime used the very same scare tactic to entrench apartheid, then the ANC resurrected it over recent years, only to breathe new life into it just as we enter the final straight to elections. Through nearly 20 years of being in power they just couldn’t think of a new excuse with which to mask their failings.

However the thing that astounds me the most is that these same protesters will vote into power the same henchmen all over again. They’ve done it before. There’s some pretty screwed up psychology involved here.

Or maybe they’ll astound me yet again, and do the right thing this time around. One can live with hope.

Update:

This just in. While a government official was being interviewed on State Television about the poor state of the roads, an accident is captured on camera. You just can’t make this shit up.

Why I'm going to vote again after 16 years

courtesy Wikipedia

The first time I voted in an election, was back in 1994, generally regarded as South Africa’s first truly democratic elections. That was also the last time I voted.

It was a euphoric moment and my expectations were high; maybe too high. Soon thereafter I came to really know the vile creature known commonly as a politician. The ANC who were voted into power by a substantial margin, wasted no time in mutating into that which they had fought against, that which we who were disenfranchised, had all grown to despise.

I watched in despair and anger over the years as the politicians lied, cheated, deceived, stole, cajoled, pledged, broke their promises and then lied, cheated, deceived, stole, cajoled and pledged some more. Poor Democracy! He was getting it up the rear in equal measure to Lady Justice who was constantly being raped. As the politicians cheered this sodomy and rape of our constitutional and justice systems respectively, their proselytes and beneficiaries licked their lips in glee, while the majority of the people wrapped themselves tighter in ignorance, or just did not give a shit.

I decided to abstain from voting; abstain from endorsing this sick process.

However, recent events around the continent where despots were being hounded out of office, and the current demonstrations in Egypt, against a resolute scumbag in office, have compelled me to review my decision. I have decided to look at the voting process philosophically, rather than with anger. Instead of viewing my vote as FOR a political party, I now view it as AGAINST a particular party; the incumbent ruling party which has been the source of my disdain.

I now realise that it is imperative to send a loud and clear message to these cretins that we’ve had enough. We may not be able to dislodge them entirely, but at least we could weaken them somewhat.

I now realise that this is much better than the alternative – rioting and demonstrating in the streets of South Africa 10 years from now, to force them out.