The Votes are Cast! – is there a fresh new wind running through South Africa?

It appears from the limited information available that the two front runners in the election, as was expected are fighting it out. What was not predicted though was that it would be this close. There is even a slim chance that the ANC might even get less than 50% of the votes! That possibility has not been even voiced since the ANC took over in 1994 – Wow! The next few hours will tell.

What has also been revealed is that President Ramaphosa right now is more popular than his party – Again Wow!

What has also become clear in the lead up to and during the election, is that the president has been backpedalling like crazy. Cyril is apologising profusely for the governing party’s failure to do their job; and promising reform. What is also in the wind is that party officials will be held accountable for their extremely dishonest and corrupt actions. All this definitely spells desperation! He is trying to keep his personal image clean. that is working and the response from the electorate is – WE STILL LOVE YOU CYRIL – YOU ARE BETTER THAN YOUR PARTY!

I see Herman Mashaba of the Action SA party has got his first seat. His party is definitely on the more liberal side of the House.

The DA, fairly predictably, headed by John Steenhuizen, the official opposition is holding its own; having been remarkably consistent during the DA’s campaign by sticking to the party’s powerful message WE GET THINGS DONE. Can he pull it off and get more than 50% of the votes, I wonder?

If such a miracle should happen that would be a huge pain in the butt for the ANC and would bode ill for their chances in the next general election.

What could happen of course is that some of the opposition parties will band together and start forming coalitions like crazy as soon as the vote count is over; which will greatly fragment the electorate and give a pointer towards a federal system being instituted in our country, which might not be a bad thing. Lots of possibilities all round. Personally, I feel that whichever way it goes I think that if it breaks the dominance of the ANC over the masses of dispossessed, poverty stricken people then that can only be a good thing!