So, the elections have come and gone. No matter how we voted, or even if we shunned the ballot, either way, the vote has been cast and we as a country have entered the next phase. A new dawn has come for South Africa. In the next five years, some things will remain the same and others will change. We hope the changes will be for the better for all South Africans and those living within her borders, her neighbours, and the world at large.
This weekend and for the following many weeks and months, South Africans and the world will be looking for those tell-tale signs that signal change. There will be a lot of queries and comments regarding the performance of the winners for a long while, in fact, for the next five years. Long and short yardsticks will be used to measure their performance and many will be found wanting. The cycle starts again.
Of the leaders elected this past week, there will be those who will work really hard to deliver on promises made during the campaign period, those who put their necks on the block because they genuinely cared for the people and want to help make life a little bit better for them than before. Then, there will be those who will not do a thing, they will go quiet on their promises and will only be heard after four years when seeking re-election. Then, unfortunately, there will be those who will be in the limelight for all the wrong reasons and the ones who put them in the office on Wednesday will be disappointed and broken of heart.
Whatever the next five years will bring on South Africa starting today, we must put our hope on God and those we have put in office to deliver. While they do their thing, life must go on for the rest of us. We must all join hands and continue to build this beautiful nation. After the jubilation is over for those whose party and or favourite candidate wins, and the tears of frustration and disappointment for those whose parties and or candidates lose, it will be time to put our differences down and take on the task of taking South Africa to the next level.
Together, we must unite and pull the nation forward as one. There is no-one too big or too small that they cannot contribute to the task of building the nation. This country is bigger than any one individual or group of people, and yet, it is big enough to accommodate all of us. So let us go forth with hope, faith, and love for our nation, our people, and our future.