With the 2009 elections at the core of many conversations around the country (and indeed the world), iafrica.com asked readers to reveal their voting plans and submit their reasons for their respective stances.

We asked: "Will you be at the polls on 22 April? Submit your reasons for voting or abstaining."

We also heard from a number of registered South Africans who cast (or in many cases attempted to cast) their ballots overseas last week.

Is your opinion featured? Have a read below!

Overseas voters

I am an expatriate based in both UK and Nigeria at my company?s offices ? I commute between the two countries. I shall not be at the voting station because I genuinely have NO faith in the leadership ability of the nominees in question, i.e. ANC or Cope. I am truly saddened at the way that South Africa is becoming just another African country ? associated with corruption, fraud, and all things unpleasant. Truly sad considering all the positive work and effort by former Presidents Mandela and Mbeki... all to lead to this. Very sad!
Roxy Maqache

I stood in the queue in London this morning [Wednesday] to vote for one hour in the cold only to find out that I had been rejected from the voters roll. I am registered in South Africa, and even got email confirmation back from the Electoral committee to say they had received my application to vote overseas. But they had no reason for me as to why I had been rejected from the voters roll.

I wonder how may people this has happened to today, and if it could have been handled better if they were more organised! Or even if they had a computer on site to check my details?
Gillian Watson

I was one of the SA expats who cast my vote in Dubai. It went very smoothly for me, but a number of other people were turned away because they did not have their passports with them. They had brought their SA bar-coded Identity Documents as you would do to vote in an election in SA, but they were turned away. The particular staff member at the polling station was very inflexible, was not prepared to even discuss the matter and I thought had a bad attitude. I think the process and required documents need to be explained more fully prior to the election and I think staff should be more flexible. I really did not see the need for the passport as although I had mine with me, the staff did not really look at it but referred to my bar-coded ID. I also heard that earlier in the day people without their passports but with their ID were allowed to vote. So there should be consistency. All in all though, it was very painless.
Xavine England

I am currently stationed in Malaysia where my husband runs a large multi-national company.

I am also the most loyal citizen of South Africa to be found anywhere which is why I was anxious to cast my vote on the 15th.

We were sent, from our embassy, a very simple form with the title: South Africans who are currently residing in Malaysia and who would like to vote.

I duly completed the form and faxed it back to the embassy as instructed with a copy of my registration details as requested. No other instructions were given and I naturally believed that all I had to do on the 15th was arrive at the embassy with my passport, ID and cast my vote.

I received a call from the embassy on the 14th to tell me I would not be able to vote as I had not registered independently with the IEC. At no stage, in any documentation or communication with the embassy were we told to register independently with the IEC.

My feeling is that this form was deliberately obscure and misleading so that people living outside of South Africa would not be able to vote. I am a very angry, disappointed, frustrated and not-so-loyal South African at the moment. I imagine there are many like me as I know that very few people were allowed to vote in Malaysia.

I imagine that the Department of Foreign Affairs does not really care about this so it is probably a waste of time for me to write to you and for you to receive this mail.

Perhaps, after all, the people predicting doom ? another Zimbabwe ? are not so far off the mark? Pity I have wasted so many hours telling people how wonderful South Africa is...
Mary-Anne O'Carroll

I voted in Canberra yesterday [Wednesday]; we made a special trip up from Melbourne and decided to see the sights in Canberra as well ? i.e. we made a holiday/break out of the opportunity to cast our votes. BUT it is not convenient and certainly I would not expect many voters to do what we did. We were out of pocket by about R1500 to R2000, and one day?s leave/holiday.

A breakdown is more or less as follows:
  • I do not carry an SA ID whilst travelling (I generally only need a passport) so R50 was needed to send my ID book (registered mail) to me in Melbourne
  • Return flight to Canberra about R900 (per person)
  • We decided to come up the night before, so accommodation of about R600
  • Meals, etc. cost another R450

    This could be a very specific dilemma for those expats who found themselves in Australia on voting day. Aus is huge; Canberra is not where most people live or find themselves as tourists or workers ? it is the seat of government and nothing else. Consequently, those who would have liked to vote would have had to spend a substantial amount of time and money to do so (other than Sydney, Melbourne is the closest large city to Canberra). Those in Sydney could have driven about 280km for the privilege. UK has the advantage that London is the seat of government AND many expats live there. Dublin the same AND Ireland is small ? I am not sure about the US, but I believe there are a number of missions, not just the one in Washington.

    I am not sure what the solution is, but this, although a step in the right direction was NOT ideal to get the maximum expat turnout. Is there an electronic means of casting votes? Has the US not looked into this already? Could one rely on overseas mail (far superior to that in SA) to deliver and collect ballots from and to the embassy in each country?
    Martin Krsek

    My wife and I are registered voters in South Africa; we were in Perth on holiday and could not vote as told by the local consular official, an Indonesian, as no arrangements had been made by the IEC. I phoned the SA Embassy in Canberra and they confirmed that in order to cast our vote we would have to travel to Canberra. This of course is preposterous and only this Government would do something like this to its citizens, so our vote has been lost.
    Tony Afonso

    Voters in South Africa

    I will be voting. Why? If I do not vote then I should not open my mouth in criticism against the government as I did nothing to try and change. It is the right of every human being to vote and this right has been fought for long and hard by many people. I do not want to disgrace those people by not voicing my opinion and casting my ballot.
    Angela Rogers

    My vote is for the change this country deserves. Three ANC terms are two terms too many.

    If a party fails to deliver or even shows signs of its commitment to deliver and stop corruption and fraud, in five years, another party must be given the chance.

    Re-promising for every campaign is deceitful. Most parties have, essentially, the same manifestos, so the deciding question is: "Which party is most likely to deliver, without being reminded to?"

    The DA is the only party that has been a government-in-waiting, with an effective 'shadow-cabinet'. My vote will be for the DA.
    Mahmood

    The ANC currently rides roughshod over the people of South Africa because they are just too strong. No party anywhere in the world should be that powerful; it is not good for a democracy. I will therefore be voting to strengthen opposition to the ANC. Should they once again get their 2/3 majority ? in five years time it will be me standing in queue to vote in some foreign city.
    Maharg

    Looking at South Africa today; we need good leaders, not political heroes. Cope?s Mvume Dandala is such a man. He is not a selfish politician but a caring leader and that?s fresh! I was impressed seeing him spending a night with a Mamelodi family he had just met in an informal settlement. That was humbling!

    Unlike other political candidates, Dandala is not talking much but he listens. ?A good leader listens to the voice of the people.? He is aware that Cope will be the new opposition party and is prepared to advance the interests of the people when in parliament. He is not afraid to speak out on issues like corruption and crime.

    ?South Africa first!? he says. We have to love this country, we have to be proud South Africans, we have to see ourselves as South Africans, not tribes, he says. He is aware that we are a divided nation and in need of community leaders who will call us to rebuild the walls of good values. Nation-building and promoting moral values are key to Cope?s thinking.

    I think we need more people like Dandala in the world. He is well mannered, always playing the game not the man. There is nothing wrong about being a respectful man; though some people want him to be more radical and aggressive.

    Vavi attacks him! He is not moved. Mbalula attacks him! He stands firm. Malema attacks him! His star rises.

    I think he is radical in his own way, moving from a comfort zone of religion to a tough world of politics. He does not see himself a political personality but a servant of the people. You have to listen to him speak to come to this conclusion.

    Remember within Cope, competent and moral leadership is crucial. So, he is a good and ideal Cope leader. He is the only opposition party leader that has been discussing issues beyond the elections with the people. Cope encourages its leaders and members to exercise integrity in all their affairs. With Dandala as a presidential candidate, be confident ? Cope is well-placed to fight corruption and will not tolerate injustice. Cope leaders respect the law and will protect the country?s constitution.

    What a change in SA politics! Cope leaders are courageous; most left the safe BEE nests of the ANC to suffer in the name of democracy. Many others were people who were indifferent; Cope is their first political home. As for me, Dandala ? you have won my vote!

    Cope has given many like me a chance to dream again.

    Without fear, I will be voting Cope!
    Ronald Kete

    I will definitely be voting on the 22nd. My vote WILL NOT BE FOR THE ANC. I truly believe that we can make a difference and hope that by some miracle we can out-vote the ANC. It is unfortunate that the masses (uneducated, rural areas) do not realise that the ANC has done absolutely nothing for them.
    Ronell Jones

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