Local celebrities continue to use their influence on social media to encourage people to register to vote in the upcoming and eagerly awaited elections, expected to be a turning point in South Africa.
Many well-known individuals, such as Bonang Matheba, Sol Phenduka, Penuel The Black Pen, and Siv Ngesi, have been vocal on social media.
Since last year, Ngesi has consistently chastised the government by mentioning the slew of problems that many communities face throughout the provinces.
The renowned actor has always spoken openly about the current leadership, pushing people to vote this year.
“I do not believe we are doing enough. Our government has not been able to keep the lights on for 16 years. Yes, it has been that long – 16 years of blatant incompetence, 16 years of treason for me. And they don’t come across as being accountable at all. All they do is point fingers and blame people. People are literally dying because they cannot keep machines on that keep them alive,” said Ngesi in a video shared on X.
“Hospitals are struggling. People’s businesses are falling apart. The exchange rate is skyrocketing. Something needs to be done, and we are not angry enough. And we need to do more.”
Matheba, who is renowned for never holding back when discussing problems, has been using social media to persuade others to choose the proper course of action.
She has been requesting her fans to register to vote, citing electricity as one of the main challenges, even though she hasn’t mentioned which political party to support.
Podcaster Penuel with a series of posts, The Black Pen, has gone above and beyond to involve his followers in conversations and polls about the upcoming elections on his X account.
“Anyone who gives Cyril Ramaphosa another term in the ANC and who votes ANC at the next elections… is either an ANC employee, tenderpreneur, paid influencer, a desperate poor person, or a pure retard.
“Either way, all of them are the direct cause of the decay we see in SA today.”
While the ANC is criticised for its ongoing struggles that have clouded the country, the opposition parties – the DA, Rise Mzansi, EFF, and ActionSA – have been urging their members to vote with a clear mind.
Along with additional issues including crime, load shedding, drug and alcohol addiction, unemployment, and dirt in their township, the rolling blackouts have made people even more frustrated.
There was a recent surge in protests around the nation, with people flocking to the streets to demand accountability from their leaders.
Saturday Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za