Election Day

Today is Election Day in South Africa. It is also quite a historic one as it concludes the first 20 years of the post-apartheid democratic government. And it is the first general election for the "born free" generation, the name given South Africans born after 1994, the year apartheid was abolished.

The number 20 practically begs for pause and some reflection. Newspaper headlines and magazine covers, campaign speeches and Freedom Day addresses have all obliged by putting forth evaluations of the last 20 years and posing their own questions for this fifth election.

Is South Africa a better place to live than it was 20 years ago? Has the ANC and it's four elected presidents so far lived up to its initial promise? Is the current government on the right path? Does Zuma deserve another go at the presidency? Is it time to change party partners? Should it be the DA? The EFF? I do not think anyone has any doubt how the election will go but from what I am reading in the independent press, the other parties are gaining momentum and eventually it may actually become a real race.

Vince and I are of course just passively watching what happens. We cannot vote so we will keep our opinions to ourselves as well. (But we do have an opinion.) All I will say is that the first 20 years of this new democracy has had some incredible highs and some glaring short-falls. South Africa has come very far since 1994 but it still has a long way to go. Don't forget to vote today, South Africa!