In these exciting pre-election days we are suffering a constant bombardment of messages in every available format as candidates and parties try to gather last-minute supporters.

Posters adorn every lamp post, pamphleteers accost us on the streets, radio programmes cackle with political wishful thinking and our letter-boxes bulge with bumph.

It must all be providing muchneeded employment and boosting the economy very nicely, thank you. Maybe we should have elections more often.

In my local supermarket I was offered a plastic shopping bag emblazoned with the message, “gender-based violence”. Just that.

I wondered if it was a political message and asked the teller if it meant the shop supported gender-based violence or disagreed with it.

She shrugged and said I should consult the manager. She didn’t order the shopping bags.

It was only after I had emptied the grocery bags at home that I noticed the “end” in the word “gender” was printed in bold red.

We elderly folks sometimes take a while to twig on to these subtle political slogans. I often wonder, though, how much all this election propaganda actually wins votes.

We South Africans are basically tribal people and we tend to support our tribes, whatever they may be.

We vote for a party not because we have read the manifesto, but because the sister’s mother-in-law once stood for that party and was elected to Parliament.

Or we support a particular party because we had an uncle who was a Member of Parliament before that party had its present name.

“There’s a formal portrait of him in his official robes in the City Hall, you know. We always vote for his party, even if it’s changed its name.” (Can’t remember what he actually stood for, but he was a jolly good chap.)

But when you speak to any of your tribal members you’re bound to hear something like: “All politicians are liars an crooks, anyway, it’s one of the required conditions of employment.”

So maybe all this political posturing is just an excuse to do what you wanted to do anyway.

Some people use it to beat up a neighbour (he voted for the opposition), and some use the election to claim personal favours (“I voted for your dad, so are you free to have dinner with me tonight?”)

So whatever your tribal affiliations, enjoy the elections.

They’re free entertainment and very little is free these days.

Last Laugh

Wise old quote: “Politicians and babies’ nappies need to be changed from time to time, and for the same reason.”

* “Tavern of the Seas” is a column written in the Cape Argus by David Biggs. Biggs can be contacted at [email protected]

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

Cape Argus

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