20 short years ago, many of us would not have been allowed to vote. We did not have a say in the running of the country we lived in. It was a denial of one of the most basic democratic rights.
In 1994, when we experienced our first free and fair elections, South Africans gladly queued for hours, some for the whole day, to experience the power and meaning of casting a ballot for the first time.
In only two decades, we seem to have lost enthusiasm for the democratic process. Citizens seem to have forgotten that our freedom was not free — people lost their lives or made enormous sacrifices to ensure our right to vote.
We need to get back to a place where we appreciate this right, and respect it by exercising this right. Take time to consider your political options, and what you feel would serve the future of our country best. And then take the enormous opportunity that you have to go to the polls on 7 May and vote!
Stand up. Make your voice heard. Lead SA.