EIGHT BIG REASONS WHY ELECTION 2014 IS SO IMPORTANT
The election in 1994 was a milestone marking the end of white minority rule, and the conclusion of the big South African settlement. Twenty years later the issues of accountability, corruption, unemployment, racial nationalism, and populism have come to the fore. Collectively, these factors could trigger some major changes when SA goes to the polls on Wednesday May 7th.
There are eight big reasons Election 2014 is important.
1.) A strong swing towards the opposition will be an indication of the extent to which traditional ANC voters are prepared to vote against the party previously seen as the force of liberation.
In 2009, the ANC gained 65.89 percent of the vote, a drop from the 69.64 percent it achieved in the national election in 2004. If the party is pulled down close to 60 percent next week, the Zuma - Ramphosa alliance may face increasing internal challenges and be perceived as increasingly weak externally.
2.) A weak pro-ANC vote would likewise indicate that the ANC's core supporters are listening to those who urge them to stay away or spoil their ballots.