So the South African election passed me by this year, despite residing in Coffee Bay - an area of the Xhosa people which Mandela and Mbeki are also....
I only realised what was taking place having read news websites from abroad. The only hint was a truck that passed by a couple of times with a loud speaker. I asked Jay, one of the local gardeners what was being said over the loud speaker, and it was asking people to go to their Headman's Hut to vote. The Headman in this area is the tribal chief and much of what happens in the area is governed by tribal law; this is slowly being taken over by government municipalities, but not without some conflict for the loss of their traditional way of life.
I spoke with most of the local staff regarding their thoughts on the election (once I realised it was happening!) and apathy ruled the day. They weren't all that keen on Mbeki and the progress he was/wasn't making and nor were they enthralled with any of the opposition, therefore they didn't bother to vote. Another barrier to voting is the Passbook. All South Africans are supposed to have one or apply for one - it seems to cover their national identity details, driving licence and voting allowance. However, try living in Coffee Bay with little hard cash, no vehicle and the nearest place to get one of these books is over an hour way by car and you can see that some have problems applying and receiving their passbooks. Add on top of that the apathy felt in rural areas by some of the people I spoke to...need I say more.
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