It's election time - Participate!

Some 22 years ago on a university campus, there reigned a policy of non-participation. This policy was imposed by a black students' organisation on the basis that all organisations and fora then in existence on this particular campus, were creation of white liberals and black students should not legitimise them by participating in such reactionary formations.

As is usually the case in the course of such noble struggles, some break rank. As it turned out 3 black students broke rank and stood for elections to participate in the house committee of the residence they stayed in. The 3 souls were promptly branded traitors and coconuts and all manner of other names. They were worse than the oppressors - they were collaborators!

As is further usually the case in these matters, the white students in that residence, true to their liberal non-racial values, promptly adopted the 3sum and volunteered their services as campaign managers, speech writers and pamphleteers. All 3 were duly elected to the house committee and as with most things South African, they became the first, the trailblazers, the traitors.

In the meantime the 3 bore and endured the brunt of coconut-hood. It was quite a surprise when a year later, the organisation that advocated non-participation, decided on the mother of all participations - it had candidates stand for SRC elections. And that is how the university got its first black SRC president - a comrade and activist educated at St. Johns College.

These more than 2 decades old incidents, continue to intrigue me. The argument of the 3 coconuts was that they could not but participate in the house committee because this is where they lived. If they do not participate they deprive themselves of the opportunity of influencing what happens where they live. After they were elected to the house committee the annual formal dance theme was changed from "Cotton Club" to "District Six".

Fast-forward to 2011 and the local elections. This is where we live and if we do not participate then we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to influence the decisions about our respective and different homes. The trick and difference between then and now is that we participate only in groups and never as individuals.

Somewhere in Luthuli House a list will be prepared of the appropriate cadres who will then be presented for endorsement by the people to occupy the various positions in the various municipal councils. Of course, these cadres will be presented to the communities for vetting before they are put up for election. Whatever the spin that is put on this, the ability of any given cadre is considered only if s/he is indeed a cadre. You are cadre first then a servant of the community second. This is not such an issue because the community is all for cadres anyways otherwise the community is just made up of agents. The will of the people is the will of the cadres and of the people is of the cadres.

So, don't miss the opportunity to participate! When the cadres are paraded for your consideration and approval - remember to disapprove when you don't believe the cadre to be up to it. This is about where you live, where the water should be available and clean. Where the refuse must be fetched regularly and sewage treated.

One more thing, make sure the cadre lives where s/he serves, it is the right thing to do.