Fed up with corruption and poor leadership, Vrede residents hope elections bring about change
With the cloud of the Estina Dairy Farm scandal still lingering over its head, residents of Vrede are expected to go to the polls in their droves in 2024 in the hopes of a better future.
FILE: A voting station sign during voter registration. Picture: Eyewitness News
VREDE - For residents of Vrede in the Free State, the upcoming election presents an opportunity for change.
Soaring youth unemployment, dilapidated as well as strained infrastructure, and poverty continue to ravage the small town.
With the cloud of the Estina Dairy Farm scandal still lingering over its head, residents of Vrede are expected to go to the polls in their droves in 2024 in the hopes of a better future.
The inescapable desire for better prospects, opportunities, and leadership that provides a platform for voices of the community to be personified will also be driving the community to the polls.
The community of Vrede, specifically the youth in this region of Free State, will apply so much pressure when marking their X, the pen is likely to pierce the page - that's how angry the youth in the community are.
Forget the days of being blindsided by empty promises and being coaxed into voting for a party due to generational brainwashing, the youth in the town are fed up with corruption and lack of forward-thinking leadership.
Opportunities are few and far between, and the absence of viable businesses in the farming community has left many drowning in hopelessness.
But at the same time, many are of the opinion that while change can be affected through their national vote, there is an overwhelming need for that vote to translate into local governance, with appointments needing to be instituted according to a person's educational background rather than their political standing.