Unenthusiastic, unconcerned and uninformed are just a few words to describe some of the outlooks on the upcoming Local Government Elections. While a section of the population is genuinely interested and enthused about voting and the chance to represent their communities, there is another section that simply does not care. And after I recently engaged in dialogue with a number of people, it seems that the pessimists and naysayers outnumber the people who are interested in participating. Or perhaps I picked some of the most doubtful, distrustful and indifferent people to talk to.
Local Government Elections resumed in 2016 after being delayed for 22 years. I wonder if the attitudes of people were similar in 1994, when the polls were previously held. Still, there is no excuse that holding the elections was disregarded for all those years.
It is quite peculiar that often when the people possess the most power, they refuse to acknowledge or own it. Complaints about the problems in our society are constant. Politics, crime, the cost of living, healthcare and education are some of the prominent topics our people often moan about. Many have become great commentators on our struggles, whether by engaging in discussions in social circles, letters to the newspapers or writing epistles on social media. The number of people who complain but often appear devoid of any ideas about how to fix our issues are too many. Some have permanently assumed the role of critic or are simply pessimistic.
