Share

Sipho Masondo | Citizens aren't as powerless as they think

accreditation
Share your Subscriber Article
You have 5 articles to share every month. Send this story to a friend!
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
loading...
Loading, please wait...
0:00
play article
Subscribers can listen to this article
The e-tolls affair is not the only case in which citizens forced the government to reverse an insane decision that didn't make sense, writes the author. (iStock)
The e-tolls affair is not the only case in which citizens forced the government to reverse an insane decision that didn't make sense, writes the author. (iStock)

The lesson that should be drawn from the e-tolls, and other sagas is that, even outside elections, citizens have staggering powers to hold politicians accountable, writes Sipho Masondo.

An air of excitement is hanging in the air in South Africa from the biggest of brightly lit cities to barely distinguishable villages as citizens prepare to vote in what political analysts predict to be a seminal election, capping three decades of democracy.

Following 30 years of one disappointment after another and many empty and unfulfilled promises by the ANC, many voters understandably feel it is time to evict the ruling party and install a new government in Pretoria.

Read this for free
South Africans need to be in the know if we want to create a prosperous future. News24 has kept the country informed for 25 years, and we're about to enter a new chapter of fearless journalism. Join our free subscription trial to unlock this story and a world of news aimed to inform, empower, and inspire.
Try our free 14-day trial
Already a subscriber? Sign in
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Which national coalition government would you prefer?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
ANC + DA
88% - 8796 votes
ANC + MKP
3% - 270 votes
ANC + EFF
3% - 345 votes
ANC + 6-7 small parties
6% - 630 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.80
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.92
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.48
+0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
1,030.95
-1.3%
Palladium
903.75
+0.0%
Gold
2,324.33
-0.1%
Silver
30.12
-1.0%
Brent Crude
81.11
-1.0%
Top 40
71,305
+1.2%
All Share
77,566
+1.1%
Resource 10
61,163
-0.3%
Industrial 25
108,387
+1.5%
Financial 15
16,767
+1.8%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE