SOWETAN | Ours is a maturing democracy

Yesterday was a monumental day for SA with the world watching as millions of citizens went to the polls to make their mark.

With the elections described in some quarters as “watershed” like 1994’s, speculation about possible unrest and chaos was rife. There were areas in the country, mostly in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, that were labelled hotspots for possible violence and intimidation even before the first ballot was cast.

This was because of some worrying events that took place prior to yesterday including the taxi strike in Mthatha which saw the blockade of roads and access to the town. There were also reports of police being on a high alert in KZN over fears that there could be protests over the ruling of the Constitutional Court on the candidacy of former president Jacbo Zuma to parliament.

We welcome the fact that by late afternoon yesterday, much of the voting across the country had gone largely unhindered and with no major intractable incidents reported according to the Electoral Commission of SA.  

This should give us plenty of reasons to celebrate and be proud of our nation for putting its best foot forward when some sought to sow division and cause chaos through misinformation and disinformation. Our showing yesterday, both in terms of voters who participated in the polls and the largely peaceful way, did illustrate to the world that ours is a maturing democracy.

This is by no means an attempt to gloss over minor infractions reported in some parts of the country. There were reports of some protests and a dispute over land that led to a polling station not opening in the Eastern Cape. These are concerning isolated incidents.

However, we should not let our measurable strides of success be drowned out by a few bad incidents. There is no doubt that this election – from buildup, parties’ campaigning and voting yesterday – has been peaceful. For that we must applaud all involved – from political parties, supporters, candidates, law enforcement to most importantly, the IEC.

Our politics continue to test the bonds that have held us together as a country since 1994, but we dare not underestimate our resilience as a nation.