Enter Politics

I grew up in a very non-political family. Politics was not discussed at the table. So my interest in politics was never developed as a youth. I was eligible to vote at the 2004 general election, but as I was moving to Stellenbosch the next year, I could not register to vote in the area where I moved to, keeping me out of the voting for a couple more years.

Come 2009 general election, I was registered and ready, I would cast my vote. And here the big question came up, “Who will I vote for?” I am an analyst and scientist at heart. I have to study something to form an opinion about it. And so, I could not vote without studying the different political parties and their policies, track records and candidates. This exercise also lead me to studying governmental systems, legislature, and general politics. I seriously considered voting for a couple of parties based on my findings, and in the end, finally casting my vote for the ACDP (for both national and provincial level). I believed in their policies and track record more than any others.

Come 2011 municipal elections, and I was a political junkie by now. I would follow polls and news in real-time, I would debate parties, policies, and the state of the nation with others. 2011 was probably the most exciting election since 1994, as the ANC started it’s great decent, with the DA slowly taking over more and more ground. 2011 was a sign of hope for South African politics, showing that we will not have a one-party government ad infinitum.

When the 2011 municipal elections passed, I found interest in the USA elections. The republican primaries were happening. There were a lot of candidates competing for the nomination as Republican presidential candidate. I followed the debates and polls, and started studying the American conservative political viewpoint. I learned much from this. I started learning more about conservative politics not based on culture, race or religion, but on economical and world-view principles. This exercise changed my viewpoint more and more into conservative, right-leaning. I always used to be a dead-centre, socialist, but I started leaning more and more to right-winged capitalist.

In 2012 I moved closer to politics, through activism. I started ProLife Generation to combat abortion in South Africa. Through this I started studying the constitution and legal bodies of South Africa. I started liaising with lawyers, experts, and other activists. I started challenging political parties on the issue of abortion.

And now here we are, 2013, with the 2014 general election around the corner.
I have been observing politics, I have been studying politics, I have been commenting on politics, so it is only fitting that I now join in and become a contributor from inside. This week I submitted my membership for the ACDP, and henceforth I will be involved in politics more actively.

Why the ACDP?
The ACDP is currently the party in South Africa whose policies I agree with most. They are also the conservative party with the most representation in the South African parliament. My other options would be the FF+ or maybe the IFP, but it is well known that the FF+ is a Afrikaner party, and the IFP is a Zulu party. The ACDP is more inclusive than the other conservative parties, well balanced in the racial and gender representation, and with a near spotless track record. Yes, the ACDP is also exclusive, in being named a “Christian” party, but they are open to all sorts of life. In the past muslims were voting for the ACDP because their values are much the same. The ACDP will also have a Jewish candidate in the 2014 election.

Now I am well aware that the ACDP votes has been on the decrease, and that it is possible that the party might have to cease it’s existence if they do not get sufficient votes in the 2014 election. But I am going on principle, not on numbers. The ACDP has been upping it’s game tremendously, sporting a great, responsive Twitter and Facebook profile for one. Also the party leader, Kenneth Meshoe, quit parliament to do fundraising and campaigning for next years election. These are good signs, and I will see what I can do from my side as well.

There might come a day, when all conservative political parties in SA will have to go into one conservative coalition, to balance out the socialist left of the ANC, DA etc. But that time is not now. If the ANC go below 50% of the national vote (which may happen in 2019), then the political field will once again be open for any new conservative political party to have a go. I just don’t think people will start voting for an unknown conservative political party at this stage.

So ACDP it is, and politics it is for me. Here I am, Nico Smit – Enter politics!