Archived 2011 Articles about Elections & Voter Education

A letter from Tannie Evita
– posted on the Evita Se Perron Facebook page, 10 March 2011

I was happy to receive the 2010 Naledi Life Achievement Award in Johannesburg recently. Even though I was not on my usual political high-ground, I didn’t feel like a stranger there because so many of the actors and personalities were people I knew either personally, or from the point of view of being a fan.

In my acceptance speech, I also underlined the fact that I was not one of them.

‘I can’t act. But I can react.’

They all laughed and applauded.

I had sat for some time earlier in the day, trying to work out how I could make our two worlds compatible, these vibrant arenas of politics and theatre, so near and yet so far.

“In the theatre, the audience always basks in the reflected glory of the star, the leading lady, the dramatic actor, and the drama of the moment. But nothing could happen if there was not someone who plans the lights, another who sees to the sound. A stage manager and stage hands that move sets and furniture. People to clean the theatre, sweep the stage, make the dressing rooms a precious part of an artist’s life outside home. There are those who design costumes, iron dresses, press trousers. Others who set the cups and saucers and fill bottles with flat Coke that looks like fresh tea. And the audience believes everything on stage because there is service delivery. Without the backstage people, there would be no show. Which brings me to the Municipal Election.

On 18th May 2011 we will be casting our votes for the lighting man and the sound guy, the cleaners and sweepers. Choose the technicians and production teams, because without them our political superstars would not have a stage to pose on. There can be no show.

This will be the most important election in the history of our country. If we can be sure of honest incorruptible municipalities, we will be assured of an honest incorruptible government. At the moment we have neither.

And so I end with familiar words that ring in the ears of all of you in theatre: ‘Country? This is your Five Minute Call. All Citizens stand-by to ACT!’”