Ignore masses and you’ll have low voter turnout

The local government elections were always characterised by low voter turnout. However, the voter turnout in the 2021 polls were drastic and will probably be a game changer for the body politic of this country because it will force political parties to listen to the masses or perish.

The election campaign and the outcomes have confirmed that SA is on a downward spiral and has become a polarised society. An analysis of the political parties’ messaging and campaigns confirms that the country is mired in identity politics, the politics of fear, regionalism, personality cults and anti-intellectualism.

The campaigns of most parties tried to paint their rivals as corrupt or racist, or elevated personalities and regional interests at the expense of the broader interests of society. There are three major players contributing significantly to the polarisation of the SA politics: the ANC, DA and EFF.

Their messaging, rather than focusing on strategic and cogent plans to change district municipalities and metros into engines of economic growth and development, focused on who was best at stealing public resources or who among them is most racist and anti-intellectual.

The low voter turnout must be interpreted as total rejection of all these party messages and policy options that sow division, inequality, poverty, racism and regionalism in the body politic of this country.

The people of SA had always thought that the defeat of apartheid would automatically lead to a transformation of economic and social relations that had been embedded within apartheid.

So, the low voter turnout is a stark reminder that the 1994 victory of the democratic forces has not altered the structure of the economy, which has been one of the fundamental objectives of the revolution.

The SA democratic state has become an instrument in the hands of the elite, and its broad policy framework has become incompatible with the needs of the society. If one analyses recent elections it is easy to discern that the biggest loser has been the ANC.

It is unfortunate that despite advice from the masses that the ANC should change its ways, it continued to focus on its factional squabbles and forgot to manage the state to fight unemployment and poverty that have become the hallmark of our democratic society.

The most concerning thing about this lower turnout is youth apathy.

High youth unemployment has a demoralising effect and does not encourage young people to vote.

So, the masses are forcing the ANC to drive the “renewal project”, which must not only focus on the squabbles of the ANC but transcend how the ANC manages state and public resources for the benefit of the masses.

The renewal project must also be based on values and principles of a nonracial, non-sexist, democratic and inclusive society. The renewal project must be geared towards addressing the socioeconomic challenges and deliberately reduce the unemployment that is affecting the young people of this country. It must be about altering the structure of our economy, which continues to benefit the few.

The masses are the makers of history, you ignore them at your peril!

• Nduvane is from Admiralty Way, Summerstrand Gqeberha