I read ThoughtLeader almost daily.  Rather, I read ThoughtLeader almost daily, provided there’s a lull in rugby coverage, I should say.  Well the BlitzBokke over in San Diego are still asleep before the start of the USA Sevens… so I popped into the thoughtful website (just briefly though because the Stormers are playing the Sharks in an hour’s time).  I picked up this interesting article about the expat vote-issue I mentioned on this website before.  I have not read Rod McKenzie’s post before but I will henceforth.  He says:

South Africans abroad should be allowed to vote

I sat with the phone pressed to my ear, waiting to query one of those wonderful tannies at the SA Embassy I have spoken to before and also met: “How do we go about voting in the South African elections in April?”

I was looking forward to hearing that strong Afrikaans accent. The accent was always immediately reminiscent of vetkoek, koeksusters and Frisco coffee served on the stoep and “agh, hoe gaan dit met die lewe, Mrs Mac?” which I experienced with some of my mother’s Afrikaans friends when I was a boy growing up in Boksburg. (I remember with astonishment getting biltong flakes served on buttered scones, sometimes with jam too, nogal.) The embassy official was going to say something like, “ja, how kin I halp yew?” I knew I would be tempted to say, “howzit, tannie, vreeslik jammer om tannie te pla,” then let my swak Afrikaans fizzle out as I make my query.

I know I will just respectfully say, “good morning ma’am, can I…” instead, to my surprise, the Chinese lady screening me on the phone came back with a vague “no, they have not been given any information on the voting” and won’t let me speak to any of the South African staff. This is most unusual.

I am not going to quote the man verbatim on this website.  Do go here to read his interesting comments.

Let me know below what you think…