“We must not elect a leader from what he promises, but from his actions.”
Indonesian politician and businessman Iramn Gusman eloquently raised these arguments ahead of his country’s general elections in 2014.
At the time, South Africa also headed to the polls which culminated in the African National Congress (ANC) emerging victorious with 62.15% of votes nationwide and 249 seats in the National Assembly.
The Democratic Alliance followed with 22.23% voter support while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) garnered 6.35% of the votes.
The margins however changed in 2019 with both the ANC and DA realising a steep decline in voter support while the EFF picked up a slight margin of votes.
Fast forward to 2024, and Gusman’s ideology is more relevant than ever as South Africans yet again head to the polls on May 29.
While the country’s impending general polls have slightly changed with the introduction of independent candidates, challenges faced by most sectors of society over the past five years indicate that the popular principle: ” it’s business as usual” no longer applies.
By May 27, the conventional manifesto rallies and campaigning will have dwindled, with most voters anticipating to cast their ballots.
However, the competitive political climate in the country coupled with a high appetite by voters for an immediate reform in governance structures, has seemingly left some prospective voters in limbo over the lack of creativity showcased by political parties at campaign trails and how they have delivered their manifestoes.
For instance, the popular phrase “vote for me and I will bring about change” seems repetitive as many South Africans now want new and hard-hitting solutions to service delivery obstacles that continue to fester in their respective communities.
When an independent candidate or a new political party emerges and asks citizens to vote for them, they should somewhat boast a proven track record which will be crucial in aiding a voter to make an informed decision about how to use their vote effectively.
Track records by individuals and political parties should speak to the heart and soul of prospective voters and address all deeply-rooted challenges they may have.
The mere act of an independent candidate or new political party drafting policy suggestions and pushing or fighting for them to be adopted at a municipal and provincial level is vital.
The act of relentlessly advocating for infrastructure to be fixed, mobilising the private and public sectors to resolve bottlenecks that already exist in service delivery whether be it in the healthcare or education sectors serves as a yardstick to why they should be considered.
Interestingly, the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) in the US maintains that if ‘candidates want your vote, make them work for it.’
The organisation highlights that the electorate needs to sift through the mediocrity and rather dig a bit deeper in establishing who the candidates are – from their previous work in government structures right up to their personal history to ascertain if they are worth voting for.
In his article published in Good Governance Africa, author and transformation leader Patrick Kulati states that election “promises are the oil that lubricates electoral campaigning.”
He charges that the said promises are “powered by the eloquence of the politicians and the euphoria surrounding the campaigning events.”
To support this idea, we should consider the scenes that have played out during campaigning across the nine provinces.
The scenes have been littered with politicians courting voters with sweet and humble personalities proving that they are instantly willing to “lend an ear and a shoulder to cry on.”
Party loyalists have been unequivocal in their support for their respective political homes while those who hope for change are wooed by promises of a better tomorrow.
Professor of Journalism and dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Jaume I de Castelló in Spain Andreu Casero-Ripollés previously assessed voter behaviour and delved into factors that influence voting decisions.
These include among others, age, education, emotional intelligence, and healthcare experiences.
He states that “emotions can offer shortcuts or heuristics that influence how individuals evaluate political stimuli.’
This means that voters will approach policies based on their emotions and thus likely influence how they engage with those policies and ultimately vote.
He also adds that healthcare experiences form a vital component in a voter’s decision-making process.
This speaks to an often-familiar scenario in South Africa where a citizen’s experience at a public healthcare facility such as a clinic or hospital located in rural Limpopo or Gauteng may influence how they vote.
“Voters’ personal encounters with the healthcare system, whether satisfying or disappointing and their perception of the system’s overall performance hold considerable sway over their voting choices,” Casero-Ripolles says.
Card-carrying members of political parties should now and in the future, interrogate the political ideologies of fellow party members and see if they align with theirs while the history (both political and social) of independent candidates should be scrutinised closely.
South Africans in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas can no longer afford to be cavalier about their votes.
They deserve better than being introduced to new parties during election season or being bombarded with new faces promising change.
Even more so, with parties that already exist, copy and paste manifestos are simply not enough.
It is therefore incumbent on the electorate that they approach future elections with a sense of proactiveness.
They should question politicians about what they have done or delivered in their respective communities rather than waiting for politicians to serve them empty promises.
Nontlantla Mokati is a freelance journalist at the SABC.
