WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2011-01-17 Time: 06:00:02 Posted By: News Poster
By Fadela Slamdien
Cape Town – Much has been said about the ‘coloured vote’ in the Western Cape being the ANC’s Achilles heel. Being the one province in the country that does not have a majority black population – the ANC’s traditional voter base – and the ANC’s inability to woo coloured voters to provide them with an outright win has seen Cape Town swing between the DA and ANC until the DA gathered strength with the winning the province in 2009.
Not even Nelson Mandela’s reign in the early days of democracy was able to grant the ANC an outright majority vote in the province. West Cape News hit the streets of Grassy Park in an effort to obtain insight into the mood ahead of upcoming local government elections.
Among the tens of coloured people canvassed during a day in Grassy Park, most elderly people said a lack of jobs and high levels of crime reflected badly on the ANC. Leaning toward the right, a number of people said their lifestyles were better under apartheid, despite the fact of forced removals.
“They should have left things as they were. Before, there was very little crime, the death penalty was in, and one could send your children to the shop at night. Everybody had jobs. People were given houses and not put out on the streets like now. In 1994,” said a resident who did not want to be identified.
She said despite the Group Areas Act, the apartheid government provided for them. “People who were kicked out of Constantia were put in council flats. Look at the way people are living now. People are not put into flats. Now there is crime and drugs. Why vote for the ANC if all of this is happening?” she said.
Another major grievance was the issue of affirmative action, which most viewed as form of reverse racism, with black candidates trumping coloured applicants.
“It is a black apartheid now. The ANC has nothing to do with us. Blacks get the jobs first. They don’t give it to coloureds and whites,” said 81 year old Acarr Achmat.
Many also feel that they have been left out in the cold by the ANC even though they joined them in the struggle against apartheid. “The ANC is 100 percent prejudiced. I fought just as hard as them. We had the same problem. I was part of them. Now I am an outcast. They do absolutely nothing for us… (but) we are black too,” said 62 year old Nasser Burkh.
“The DA is more supportive of the coloured people,” said a woman who did not want to be named. “The ANC is more for black people.”
The ANC’s reputation in the province has also been damaged by the perception of empty promises and a lack of progress when it comes to improving conditions in predominantly coloured communities.
“The ANC makes empty promises. Nothing materialises,”said Kevin van der Ross, while other pointed to DA-led housing initiatives on the Cape Flats.
But a few felt exploited by the DA. “Many of our people are not educated and informed. People are politically confused and don’t know who to vote for. Zille has exploited this confusion and makes promises to the people. But after the votes, everything is back to normal and she doesn’t care,” said a man who did not want to be named.
For others, coloured people’s loyalty to the DA was a matter of racial identity in the negative, voting for the DA not because it was a ‘coloured party’, but because the ANC was perceived as black.
Younger residents tended to be disillusioned with both parties.
Twenty three year old Gaironeesa Zimri said casting a vote was “useless” as political parties did not deliver on their promises. “This country is in a big mess. It doesn’t matter who you vote for as nothing has been done. It is useless voting as you will achieve nothing. The country has gone from bad to worse,” she said.
Original date published: 17 January 2011
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201101170479.html?viewall=1