Free and fair

For A Change, June-July, 2004 by Helen Duigan

South Africa's democracy is ten years old. After two previous successful elections, it never even crossed my mind when we went to the polls in April to question whether the elections would be free and fair. I took it for granted. Risky, taking Africa's record into consideration? No, the elections underlined the progress we've made in a decade.

An international observer commented that the 2004 election process compared with the best in the world. Perhaps South Africa should offer to help with the vote counting in Florida in the US presidential election later this year!