2004-1

ELECTIONS

VOTER EDUCATION

articles from 2004

Make your mark in polls, says Tannie Evita

– IOL News, 22 January 2004

Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout handed out koeksisters and campaign donations to political parties on Thursday at a "fun raiser" to encourage South Africans to register to vote.

"Let us go and enthuse ourselves and register to vote," said Evita, who was wearing a cream skirt and patterned top and carrying a handbag covered in artificial roses.

"Apathy brings out the worst in every democracy," she said in a message to prospective voters. "If you want this to become a dictatorship, don't do anything this weekend."

Her Cape Town "fun raiser", attended by representatives of most major political parties, comes ahead of the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC) final registration drive this weekend for the 2004 general election.

The IEC says some seven million eligible voters have not registered.

"If you want to end up in another country because your beloved South Africa has imploded because of apathy, don't do anything," Evita said.

"But if you want this to become one of the greatest countries in the world, all you have to do is just take your ID book, and a book to read, and a cooldrink, and go an stand in the queue on Saturday and Sunday, and register.

"You'll meet wonderful people in the queue. You might find a future husband or wife, or even a garden boy who is white."

Evita also took the opportunity to welcome German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to South Africa, because, she said, it meant that President Thabo Mbeki would also be in the country.

"We are pleased that Thabo Mbeki's in South Africa because he is the only one who knows the date of the election."

Evita allowed political party representatives two minutes each to deliver a message to voters.

Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon said South Africa was a democracy because "the people" had made it one, and would remain a democracy if they chose to keep it so.

"It is the people who will determine the quality of government and the strength of the opposition," he said.

Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille said South Africans had fought long and hard for democracy, but now, after ten years, the apathy factor was almost 40 percent.

"Shame on South Africa," she said.

National Action leader Cassie Aucamp said the biggest party in South Africa was the "stay away party".

"In the new South Africa we want to ask you, and it's not too much to ask, just vote. Heavens, it's free, it's a bargain. There's no excuse to be apathetic and not vote."

Evita gave each party representative a R20 note from her rose-covered handbag as a donation to their campaign funds before posing with them for photographers with koeksisters and coffee.

Evita Bezuidenhout is the alter ego of performer Pieter Dirk Uys.

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