At the conclusion of last year’s freedom election, then-president-elect Nelson Mandela quoted the cry of American slaves from the last century: Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty we are free at last.
This week, at the conclusion of the next round of voting, we can paraphrase him: Normal at last, normal at last, thank God Almighty we’re normal at last.
That’s the most basic conclusion one can come to after a local government election which went ahead with a few irritating hitches, but nothing nearly as chaotic as the first day’s voting last time around, little violence and, it appears prior to the release of final figures, reasonably healthy turnouts in most areas.
Two issues will be important in analysing the results: the turnout, since a low poll in some areas might indicate a disappointment with government delivery in those areas; and whether any of the minority parties strengthen their position, since this country has so far chosen a government but not really settled on which party provides the most effective opposition.
These issues will be teased out once all the results are available, but meanwhile we can celebrate the realisation that a slow and dull day of voting in a local government poll makes us average among democratic nations.
This time the world’s media paid little attention. Thank God Almighty we’re boring at last.