There's an awkward condition that seems to prevail in the south African public when it comes to politics. We'll openly denounce the idiotic antics of Malema or tirelessly shake our heads and sigh: "How the hell did that happen?" when staring up at a pudding faced Zuma on a ANC election poster, but the issue of "outing" our support for a particular party seems to be sticky with taboo.
How often have you been huddled around a man-braai, where a sufficient amount of beer has been consumed to allow for the sampling of such sacred territories as religion and politics ( we have established that there is a four-beer prerequisite for introducing these topics into conversation), when the track of conversation is slowly switched over -and usually begins along the lines of, "you know this country is fucked up when...(insert clichéd statement on crime/corruption etc..)" and suddenly theres an enthusiastic jostle to share their anecdotal view or opinion, all the while vehemently ignoring the enormous white elephant thats just squeezed, with the finesse of Rosie o'Donnel on the London underground, between the tong master and token girlfriend. Come hell or high water, everyone skillfully skirts the issue of who he/she actually supports.
"Rock The Vote" is a DA rally concert featuring the awesome talents of: Van coke kartel, Jackal+Wolf and Zinkplaat and sports some pretty cool artwork, skilfully constructed by our friend Rouleaux. While "Rock The Vote" may not reach dizzy heights of the Obama concerts, it is a definite step in the right direction. Initiatives like this may one day bring polite political silence to an end. South African politics can finally come out of the closet.
