by nobody15678945

Created on: February 09, 2009

What exactly is the role of the internet in South Africa's 2009 general elections when most South Africans don't have the internet? Most of us have cellphones, sure, because cellular technology suits African distances and lifestyes right down to the ground, but here we rely more on ADSL cables and telephone lines than we do on satellite connections, computers are not cheap and you're looking at a general population with about 40% unemployment rate - lots of houses aren't really houses, let alone having electricity or the internet. So the internet is relevant to people with money, jobs, education; and that is not most of us by any means.

Try this: search online for a directory of South African political parties' websites. Good luck with that, it doesn't happen in the first few results. Well, you'll find lists but they won't be remotely up to date. Even a search on the Independent Electoral Commission's website only gave me figures, without names or links. With a bit of current affairs knowledge and some Googling, however, anything is possible. I emailed every single party from their website, asking how to join the party. I got one reply. One.

If that was a business website, you'd assume they didn't need your money, right? So I assume that nobody needs my vote, which is rather sad. Emailing candidates directly had far better results and I have to tell you that Patricia de Lille's spokesperson is a very charming and helpful spokesperson indeed.

That's just them though. Naturally, there's a whole world of cyberspace out there that is allegedly impartial. The Independent Electoral Commission site is especially helpful for finding out how and where to register to vote. Only I suspect that those people have ideas and cars anyway.

In terms of "normal" people and the vast majority of underprivileged (by Western standards especially) people in South Africa, offline things have far more relevance. Political parties give away food before elections (the ANC is doing it in this town right now as I write this) and of course they provide transport to rallies and to the ballots when voting time comes round.

If South Africans abroad were entitled to vote, the internet would have more to contribute, of course, because there are an enormous amount of South Africans sitting homesick online. As far as most of us go, ny direct marketing works better face to face and by SMS/text message than any amount of internet campaigns.

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