By Mpheni Tshivhase
- Ralph Malisa walked to a primary school in Soweto at six in the morning in 1994 to cast a vote.
- Ralph Malisa is now 66 years old and says today leaders care more about making money than serving the people.
Ralph Malisa woke up full of hope on 26 April 1994. The ANC had promised free education, healthcare and a better life for black South Africans.
Malisa was 34 years old at the time. He walked to Phuthalushaka Primary School in Tshiawelo in Soweto at 6am.
There was a long line, but he did not mind waiting. He believed his children and family would have a better life.
The mood in the crowd was happy. Women and young men sold fat cakes to the people waiting in line. Malisa bought two fat cakes from an old woman at 11am.
He finally cast his vote at 5pm. He said he had done his part and it was up to the leaders they trusted.
“I felt proud, relieved,” he said.
More than 30 years later, that hope is gone. Malisa is now 66 years old. He says the promises made back then were empty.
“Looking back, I’m heartbroken,” he said.
Malisa says the system feels more broken now than it did in the past. He points to rising crime, corruption and a lack of jobs. He says there is disorder today, whereas the old system had rules.
He worries about the youth and the future of the country. He says parents struggle to discipline their children today because the law has changed.
Malisa is also angry about corrupt officials and illegal immigration. He says citizens feel pushed aside in their own country.
He says leaders care more about making themselves rich than serving the people. Young graduates are sitting at home without jobs.
“I still believe in a better South Africa,” he said. “We need systems that work.”
He says the country needs leaders who put the people first.
Pictured above: Ralph Malisa.
Image source: Supplied
