CISA REPORT –The Catholic Bishops of Southern Africa have advised Catholics and people of goodwill to vote wisely in the forth coming elections in South Africa in May this year.
In their pastoral statement, the bishops said, “The forthcoming municipal elections present us once again with an opportunity to influence the direction our country is taking. We are grateful to Almighty God that we can confidently anticipate a free and fair election process, the eighth in our 17 years of democracy.”
“Every citizen has the right to vote, to participate in the choosing of public representatives, and to give a mandate to those entrusted with governance. But it is more than simply a right – it is a duty which rests on every eligible voter. Each of us must use our vote wisely and thoughtfully, in order to help ensure that our cities, towns and districts are run by honest and competent people, to the benefit of all, especially the poor and the vulnerable,” the catholic bishops said.
They further said that “unfortunately, many public representatives in South Africa choose to enter the world of politics because they want power, wealth and status, and not because they are committed to serving the public.”
“This tendency harms our democracy and results in us as citizens not enjoying its benefits. It leads to corruption, nepotism and self-advancement, at the cost of service-delivery and the well-being of our communities,” the statement signed by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale OMI, Archbishop of Johannesburg, President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference stated.
They said that such people “do not deserve our support. If we continue to vote for them, we will have only ourselves to blame if our municipal services crumble and our neighbourhoods are not properly maintained.”
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