“It took a lot of work and a lot of sacrifices for every South African to be able vote,” said public protector Thuli Madonsela at Lynnwood Ridge Laerskool in Pretoria this morning when she went to cast her vote.
Outgoing Public Protector Thuli Madonsela slipped quietly into Lynwood Ridge school in Pretoria to cast her ballot. Although Madonsela’s red coat had some EFF supporters hopeful she had voted for their party, the public protector remained coy on which party got her vote.
“All I can say is I voted to strengthen constitutional democracy and to accelerate the pace of achieving all of those things that the constitution promises,” Madonsela told media, standing outside the voting station.
Madonsela, who will leave the public protector’s office in October 2016, said that the position has given her a unique insight into the state of democracy in South Africa and the platform to give South Africans advice to ensure democracy is protected.
At the voting station, some in the queue smiled shyly at Madonsela, while others approached her for photos and selfies. “When will you run for president?,” one admirer asked Madonsela, but the public protecter only smiled in response.
“This election is one of the milestones in terms of the maturity of our democracy. As public protector Ive been in a space where I can guage the temperature of our democracy and the pace of our democracy,” Madonsela said.
When asked what exactly the temperature of South Africa’s democracy is, Madonsela responded, “I don’t think I’m in a position to say what I think. What I can say is, we all just need to reflect where we are and to honestly play a part in determining consciously where we want to be.”