This is an extremely tricky and sensitive debate to have. I think that there are many heated opinions held by people who still feel strongly about their country of birth (South Africa). This feeling clearly leads them to feel some ownership of SA and the countries ruling party.
But I am not so sure.
I firmly believe that South Africans living abroad temporarily on short term (1-4 year) Visa’s – or whatever the time period is, should be allowed to vote. I firmly disagree with expats who have formally left the country indefinitely who want to vote. If you choose to leave a country and have no intention of contributing to the economy, the social upliftment, the every running of the nation then you unfortunately waver the right to vote.
Come back if you want to vote that badly. But don’t leave and then claim to still love the nation and want to make a difference. If you are on a gap year, if you are on a working visa, if you are on an extended holiday then by all means vote, in fact I think the government owes it to citizens who intend on returning to provide a platform (at SA embassies the world over) for these people to vote.
As far as I am aware there are ± 143 political parties which would make the next elections the biggest since 1994. There is something in the air this year, there is change in the people, the masses are taking back the ownership of their days. It started with Obama and hopefully wont end any time soon. Hopefully that dog, Mugabe will be the next to be ousted.
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Popularity: 5% [?]
November 11th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I think so.
Not all of them are planning to never come back.
So yes they have a right to vote on their future.
November 11th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I think that “expat” is a broad term. Some people, as you say, like me, go off travelling, and do not leave because they have decided to leave SA behind. I happen to care very much about the political, and social future of SA, the only citizenship I have is South AFrican, and if I could have afforded to I would have flown home to register. Surely if you only have South African citizenship, your right to vote should not be revoked?
But it doesn’t matter, as none of us overseas, “expats” or not, can vote at all.
November 11th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Do you have a green South African ID booklet? OK cool, all you have to do is register and then go back again at election time to cast your vote. Simple.
How you get there is your problem. Whether you’re a 5 minute walk away or on another continent. There is no incentive for the IEC to go through the hassle of securely extending the facility to vote outside of the country especially if the majority expats don’t even pay tax.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:32 am
Definitely not if you have no intention of going back. Firstly because you are no longer paying tax there, secondly you don’t have to live with the consequences of your vote, and thirdly if you no longer live there, are you still in tune with what is happening?
November 13th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I’ve been on a work visa in Ireland for almost two years now. I’m probably going to finish up in about a year (or two) and then go travelling for another for about three to six months.
So I see myself back in South Africa no later than mid 2011, only two years into our next president’s five-year term. I will be quite annoyed if I didn’t get to have my say in these upcoming elections and then have to live (and pay taxes) under a government I had no part in choosing.
November 13th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Michael – very good point. I have my doubts about people outside of SA borders being able to vote, but I really need to do more research on the topic.
November 13th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
We cannot vote outside of SA but we can fly home to vote. There are no provisions for people to vote outside of SA, unlike in the US. Apparently this is unconstitutional but I do realise it would be an insane amount of organisation.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I am an expat and would not waste my time voting as the blacks have been brain washed to vote for ANC. It does not matter to them that the ANC is running the country into the ground as long as they are in power. It is just like the idiots in Zimbabwe who keep voting for McGarbage.
South Africa, you can have it.
November 14th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Nic I think Peter answers your question. Any expat who has no plan to come home or no interest in the future of our country has no desire to vote anyway. We who care and hope like hell to come home would like to vote. Who knows, maybe I still can.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
You wonder why people like Peter who clearly aren’t interested in SA anymore, even bother coming onto the SA Rocks website. Anyway, I’m overseas temporarily and it saddens me that I won’t be able to go to SA to vote, but would still need to live under the new government when I return end of next year. I would’ve loved to vote from overseas, but agree that it’s not fair, you need to contribute to the country to have the right. However, I have contributed for 30 years, only been away for 1 1/2 and another 6 months next year ’till I’m back, so maybe I still have the right?