Comments on: Why can’t South Africans abroad vote?

By: H Smith

H Smith — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:00:43 +0000

Sarah Palin,

Just a quick comment regarding your caustic view of Helen Suzman and Van Zyl Slabbert as opposition leaders.

If Helen Suzman had undermined the fight for freedom in South Africa by working within the system as oppostion, why is it then that so many in current government saw fit to pay their respects at her memorial?

You just haven’t got a clue have you…?

By: Anonymouse

Anonymouse — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:22:31 +0000

Please ignore the 3:07 post – while proofing it (the Gremlins?) submitted itself as it were.

By: Anonymouse

Anonymouse — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:09:23 +0000

H Smith – “But what of those who were disenfranchised in the recentt past…on legislation that was clearly flawed and flew in the face of the Bill of Rights…? What recourse do they have…?”

That is water under the bridge. The thing with our Bill of Rights jurisprudence is that, whenever you feel challenged or disenfranchised as far as your rights are concerned, you have to positively assert your rights and, if necessary, obtain the necessary relief from a court of law with jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter.

The problem now would be for the IEC to register South African citizens living abroad as voters and to empower the different embassies and missions abroad to see to it that they are afforded the opportunity to vote. one should remember that such people would not necessarily be allowed to vote in the Provincial elections (which, to my mind requires a degree of residence as would Local authority Elections – but I could be wrong), only for the National Assembly. One should further remember that the matter might still be overturned in the CC, a situation which I think the chances are slim of that happening. Lastly, one should remember that it would be for the potential voters living abroad to positively assert their right to vote – in other words, they will have to go to the relevant mission or contact the IEC with a view to register and they will have to do their bit of going to the relevant embassy or mission to vote when required, and they would not be entitled to sit back and wait for someone to visit them or for someone to post them a ballot.

By: Anonymouse

Anonymouse — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:07:28 +0000

H Smith – “But what of those who were disenfranchised in the recentt past…on legislation that was clearly flawed and flew in the face of the Bill of Rights…? What recourse do they have…?”

The problem now would be for the IEC to register South African citizens living abroad as voters and to empower the different embassies and missions abroad to see to it that they are afforded the opportunity to vote. one should remember that such people would not necessarily be allowed to vote in the Provincial elections 9which, to my mind re, only for the National Assembly. One should further remember that the matter might still be overturned in the CC, a situation which I think the chances are slim of that happening. Lastly, one should remember that it would be for the potential voters living abroad to positively assert their right to vote – in other words, they will have to go to the relevant mission or contact the IEC with a view to register and they will have to do their bit of going to the relevant embassy or mission to vote when required, and they would not be entitled to sit back and wait for someone to visit them or for someone to post them a ballot.

By: H Smith

H Smith — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:23:19 +0000

Bingo – the courts have spoken!

Get your voting pen’s ready…!

But what of those who were disenfranchised in the recentt past…on legislation that was clearly flawed and flew in the face of the Bill of Rights…? What recourse do they have…?

By: James

James — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:09:31 +0000

1) If it’s too expensive for expats to vote why can South African embassy staff vote abroad?

Why can criminals vote? Criminals don’t pay any taxes. I don’t see the need to spend my tax payer money on people that have taken the life of other human beings.

2) IF a South African citizen abroad get deported which country will he be deported to?? South AFrica or America? Therefor the expats home is SOUTH AFRICA by Right not Choice.

3) The fact that people assume EXPATS should not vote because they only vote for certain parties are just that “ASSUMPTIONS.”

4) With the world becoming a “Global Village” more and more people can chose where they want to work. This doesn’t mean they have cut off all their ties with their homeland just because they are studying/ working/ travelling abroad.

5) Being born SOUTH AFRICAN you have the RIGHT (not privelage) to take part in the say of YOUR country. Nobody can deny you access to what is given to you at birth. The right of Citizenship and the Right to Vote. It’s a Human right not a choice.

6) I think giving the right to all citizens to vote will be to the better of All of South Africa. Remember it’s not only white people living abroad there are plenty Black South Africans too and they would like to vote. It should be open to ALL .

By: tanith

tanith — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:18:41 +0000

People, please, when is everyone that calls themselves a South African, going to get over the fact that there are many different colour skins living in South Africa, stop making everything into a racial battle, we are all the same in that we are South Africans!!!

By: Billy of Arabia

Billy of Arabia — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:22:46 +0000

This is not a negotiation. This was completed before 1994 and I now have rights as does every citizen of South Africa, which we are all in agreement about. I work in Saudi Arabia, I am a South African, I want my vote. The constitution says I can vote. ‘Cos I am not present in South Africa, all I want from the ruling government is to make arrangements that I, and the the other 30,000 South Africans, mostly black, coloured, Indian and some whites in Saudi can vote. All 1,500,000 South Africans not living in South Africa want to vote, which is their right.
I do not have to be tested again whether or not I am a South African, whether or not I pay tax, whether or not I own property, whether or not I visit my family and my parents, I have a SOUTH AFRICAN PASSPORT, I want my VOTE! It turns out I can even be a CRIMINAL, I still have the vote.

By: Philip Machanick

Philip Machanick — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:37:12 +0000

I left SA for what I thought would be a short time, but ended up feeling that I owed the good jobs I could fill to the previously disadvantaged (well, one time I did apply, and they ignored me and appointed a real foreigner). But in any case, I have maintained my citizenship, my long-term investments that are still in SA are taxed, and I spend money in the country on visits. I also pay close attention to SA politics. I don’t see why I should not be allowed to vote. As a supporter of the Greens in Australia, I reject the notion that expats should have to fly home to vote. That is a ridiculous idea. Maybe when I return, I’ll work on getting a strong Greens party going, since the ANC and opposition all appear to have sold out to mining interests.

By: Mpho

Mpho — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 22:17:33 +0000

Ben // Nov 25, 2008 at 3:50 pm

I think you should write children’s books with that fertile imagination you have going on there.