LETTER | We often forget that SA’s future is in our hands

SA’s future is in the hands of its voters.

It is that simple — and yet, somehow, we often forget it.

The power to determine who leads the country, how government operates and the direction of our nation lies not with parties or politicians, but with the people who put crosses on ballots.

And right now, that power is more volatile than ever.

For decades, the ANC dominated the political landscape. But decline was inevitable.

Poor service delivery, corruption scandals and the actions of key figures have eroded trust in the ruling party.

Voters reacted — some stayed and grumbled, others walked away and many searched for alternatives.

Perhaps this is precisely what propelled Nelson Mandela to warn that SA needed not only political and economic reconstruction, but an “RDP of the soul”.

Mandela understood that a nation cannot survive on liberation credentials alone.

Without integrity, moral leadership, accountability and a sense of common purpose, even the strongest political movement eventually loses the trust of the people.

Mandela also issued another warning that now feels more relevant than ever.

He told South Africans that if the ANC ever did to the people what the previous regime had done, then the people should do to the ANC what they had done to that regime.

In other words, no political party, no matter its history or its role in the liberation struggle, should ever be beyond accountability.

That was not only a warning to the ANC — it was a reminder to the people that their loyalty should never outweigh their principles.

Mandela understood that liberation movements can lose their way, and that the duty of citizens is not blind loyalty, but vigilance.

The moment voters continue to support a party out of habit, fear or history alone, they surrender the very power that democracy has placed in their hands.

Yet the story today is not just about the ANC.

Investigations into alleged infiltration of our security cluster reveal a troubling truth: wrongdoing appears to spread across party lines.

The names that surface are not confined to the ANC.

They include figures from across the political spectrum, opposition leaders claiming to be the champions of fighting corruption.

No party appears untouched, and no voter can rely solely on party loyalty to guide their choice.

For South Africans who have grown disillusioned, these revelations deepen cynicism.

Over the past decade, voters have “jumped ship” again and again, joining splinter parties or moving across the political spectrum.

The question now is: where will these voters put their crosses in the upcoming local elections, and later in the 2029 national elections?

This brings us to a deeper problem: even though the people hold the power, that power itself is now at risk.

Many voters no longer know what to do with it.

Who can they trust?

As loyalty to parties weakens, voters increasingly focus on the quality and integrity of leadership.

But what happens when leadership across the entire political spectrum is tarnished?

How does a voter decide where to place their cross when every option seems to carry disappointment, doubt or distrust?

And if there is no credible choice, the danger grows that people will simply stop using their power at all.

More and more South Africans may stay away from the ballot box — not because they do not care, but because they feel there is no meaningful choice left.

SA therefore stands at a crossroads.

The old certainties are gone.

The power is still with the people, but how they choose to use it — or whether they choose to use it at all — could reshape our country for decades to come.

And perhaps that is the question now confronting millions of ordinary South Africans, including myself.

Do I sell my vote?

Do I remain loyal to the party I have always supported?

Do I vote for the ANC again, and if so, what will the benefit be?

Do I move to another party, only to find the same disappointments there?

Or do I finally abandon the election altogether?

But if I do, what then?

What are the consequences of silence? What happens when the people who hold the power decide no longer to use it?

So many questions. So few answers.