‘Born Frees’ encouraged to register to vote for 2014 National Elections

By Mzukona Mantshontsho

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa has encouraged all South Africans to register to vote for the 2014 National Elections between Saturday 9 November and Sunday 10 November 2013, between 8am and 5pm.
“We particularly encourage first time voters, particular those born in 1994 when South Africans voted for the first time in a new dispensation, to take this opportunity and register to vote for their party of choice during the national elections in 2014,” said IEC Chairperson Pansy Tlakula.
Asked about the readiness of the IEC for the registration, she said: “We have systems in place and are ready for the registration in November; we currently have a 42,000 member team that will deliver on the designated days”.
Asked on the credibility of the IEC after a recent report from Public Protector Thuli Madonsela about the procurement of an IEC building, Raenette Taljaard, Commissioner at the IEC said: “The IEC is ready to deliver a free and fair election, come November registration and election time next year”.

In my own quest to understand leadership, I stumbled across statements made by Leadership Gurus John Maxwell, he said: “Everything falls on leadership, leadership is the key enabler, without leadership there is darkness”. Peter F. Drucker said: “Management is doing things right, Leadership is doing the right things”.
Every time a new leader or political party is introduced, it allows for new enthusiasm, innovations, ideas and a change of mindset. Observing the politics, emotions and theatrics at play every time there is a change in leadership; people react either with enthusiasm or strong resistance.
Our reaction to new leadership is based on the reputation of the existing leadership, combined with expectations and hopes of improvement from the new one. Either way, the introduction of new leadership and political parties brings with it a weird mixture of uncertainty, combined with hope and excitement.
If we do not like our leaders we must banish them, if we do not like our government, we must fight to change it. If we do not like the way things are going, we must speak out and stop it. Building a great South Africa is the job of each one of us. We can never entrust that to just a few people seated in the comfortable seats of parliament – but we can direct them.