Ngale kokhetho: Isidingo sokuqonda ngepolitiki yokhetho
Umsebenzi we-Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) ngale kokhetho wukwakha umphakathi owazi ngemithetho yokhetho
Ngokwalabo abakholelwa kudemokhrasi, ukhetho yisithako esimqoka sokuqinisekisa ukuthi abantu bathola ubuholi abakufunayo noma ngithi okubafanele. Yebo, phela awukwazi ukutshala ubhatata bese ulindela ukuba uvune amabele.
Uvuna lokhu okutshalile. Lokhu kuchaza ukuthi uma ukhala ngeqembu noma uhlobo oluthile lobuholi, qala uzibuze ukuthi ngabe wavota kahle yini. Ngokuvota kahle ngabe sisho ukuthini? Cishe zimbili izinhlobo zabantu noma zomphakathi wabavoti. Kukhona labo abavotela iqembu abakhula belazi, ngoba ngelabazali babo.
Laba kababuzi lutho, kubo ukuvotela iqembu leli yisiko abalenza njalo emuva kweminyaka ethile. Uhlobo lwesibili ngelalabo abaqala ngokwazi umehluko wamaqembu asesitikini. Laba bayaqhathanisa, basole, bacabange bese benza isinqumo sokuthi ngubani ofanelwe yivoti labo. Kulaba ukuvota yithuba lokujezisa noma lokuklomelisa amaqembu.
ENingizimu Afrika inhlangano ebhekele ukhetho i-IEC ihlalelwe wumsebenzi onzima. Loyo ngumsebenzi wokwelusa ukhetho, kusuka lumenyezelwe usuku nangalo usuku. Nokho abaningi bayiqaphela le nhlangano uma isikhipha imiphumela. Kule minyaka engama-26 edemokhrasi baningi abatusa le nhlangano ngokusingatha ukhetho ngesinwe.
Nokho kukhona engiqaphela ukuthi le nhlangano ayikwenzi ngokwanele, nezizathu zingakhona mhlawumbe ngakuyo ukuthi kungani. Abe-IEC mhlawumbe bengaqondile benza umsebenzi wabo ubukeke njegowokhetho kuphela. Asizwa ngezinhlelo zansukuzonke zokufundisa ngepolitiki yokhetho.
Ngokubuka kwami inkinga iqala embonweni wayo le nhlangano. Ngonyaka wezi-2009 umbono wayo wawuthi yona imele: “Ukuqinisa idemokhrasi yangokomthethosisekelo ngokubamba nokulawula ukhetho olukhululekile nolunobulungiswa lapho wonke umvoti ekwazi ukuvota ngokuzikhethela.” Kwahamba kwahamba waguquka njengoba nonyaka manje usuthi umbono wayo: “Wukuba ngumholi osemqoka kudemokhrasi yokhetho.”
Ngowezi-2009 inhlosomgomo yale nhlangano yayithi: “IKhomishini Yokhetho ingumzimba waphakade ozimele futhi ongachemi owakhiwe uMthethosisekelo ukugqugquzela nokuqinisa idemokhrasi engokomthethosisekelo eNingizimu Afrika ukubamba ukhetho olukhululekile nolonobulungiswa kuwo wonke amazinga kaHulumeni.”
Kwahamba kwahamba lokhu kwaguquka njengoba manje isithi inhlosomgomo yayo ngukuba: “IKhomishini Yokhetho ingumzimba ozimele ngokomthethosisekelo olawula ukhetho olukhululekile nolunobulungiswa lwemizimba nezakhiwo ngokwemithetho lapho izakhamuzi, amaqembu epolitiki nomphakathi jikelele bezibandakanya ekujuliseni idemokhrasi yokhetho.”
Lokhu nje kukodwa kuyakutshela ukuthi ingxenye enkulu nayo ezozikala kanjalo nezisebenzi zayo le nhlangano ngukuthi ukhetho lumile yini khona emveni kweminyaka emihlanu.
Ingozi kulokhu wukuthi uzongcina unabantu abazi ukuthi ukhetho yinto yeminyaka emihlanu, kungabe kusaba khona ukuba yingxenye ngale kokhetho. Lokhu kuyenzeka kuyimanje lapho abantu uthola ukuthi abazi ngemithetho yokhetho.
Umbuzo uthi ngabe abe-IEC benza ngokwanele yini ukufundisa umphakathi ngalokhu noma bagcina ngokuqinisekisa ukuthi izinhlangano zepolitiki ezisuke zingenele ukhetho yizo eziqonda kangcono?
Kule nhlangano kunophiko olwaziwa ngikuthi ngu-Outreach, ngokuchaza kwale nhlangano umsebenzi walo ukwazisa nokufundisa umphakathi ngedemokhrasi kanye nenqubo yokhetho, yenze ucwaningo kokusha okuqhubekayo okhethweni nakudemokhrasi, ibuye ilawule ukuxhumana kuyo iKhomishini Yokhetho.
Olunye uphiko lubizwa ngeCivic Education, Research and Knowledge Management Department. Lolu phiko luqonde ukukhuthaza ukuzibandakanya kwezakhamuzi ngokuhlinzeka imfundo eqhubekayo, nokwandisa ezokucwaninga ze-IEC, kukhiqizwe imibhalo kubuye kulondolozwe umlando wesakhiwo. Ibuye ihlinzeke ubuholi obunamaqhingasu nobuningayo emkhathini wezokhetho nasezindaweni lapho inhlangano iba ngungqaphambili ezingxoxweni zedemokhrasi yokhetho.
Uma ubuka okubhaliwe lokhu kuhle futhi kuyadingeka kepha umbuzo uthi ngabe kuyenzeka yini, nini nokuthi kwenziwa ngobani. Iqiniso lithi iningi labantu alazi ngemithetho yokhetho, iningi labo licabanga ukuthi ukhetho yinto yeminyaka emihlanu njengoba kusho umthetho.
Okunye le nhlangano okumele iphumele obala kukho wulimi olusetshenziswayo ngenkathi kusatshalaliswa lolu lwazi abathi bayaluqoqa lophenyo ngezinguquko kwezokhetho.
Kulilungelo labavoti ukuba bezwe futhi bafunde izinto ngolimi lwabo futhi kwaboHlanga lokhu kumqoka ngoba kade babegilwa, kuthiwa batsheniwe, bayazi kube bekusetshenziswa ulimi abangaluzwa. Kuloku zihlela kabusha abe-IEC kumele balekelelwe yithi sonke ikakhulukazi labo abanolwazi nezinkudla ezikwazi ukufinyelela ngokushesha kubantu, kubandakanya nabezindaba. Sonke siyadinga ukuba yingxenye ngale kokhetho.
