In a past life I always spoke about wanting to live in a country where we could get involved in the politics. Truly engage and interact with the politicians, the policies, the campaigns. Watch debates on TV and debate with your friends around who actually deserves your vote.

At times I feel ashamed to live in South Africa. I loved the country but the current leadership is embarrassing to say the least. We are the nation that had Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest leaders in history, as our leader. With him we held our heads high and we were proud. He fought for the rights of everyone. He believed in South Africa, he believed in its people.

Now I hang my head in shame when I speak of our previous president and what he has done with the trust of his people to govern this beautiful country. I am no longer proud of the government. The beauty of it though is that we are still a democracy and I can have my say through my vote. That is why it is so important to vote. However, we have to vote for what we believe in. We must vote for those who will make a positive change in this country and not use it to benefit themselves or their bank accounts. I will continue to have hope that there are leaders out there who truly have their peoples best interest at heart. Leaders we can believe in and once again lead us to hold our heads high and be proud.

Every vote honestly counts. Even more important than taking the time to vote for yourself is to teach your children about the importance of voting. Take them with you, yes I understand it may be a bit of a headache, but they can be a part of such an important event from a young age. It always warms my heart to see how all the different people of South Africa come together on voting days. I feel a little bit of hope again. I will be honest in that I do not always know if this is the country I want to raise my daughter in. But for today I am a proud South African and for today I have hope. Vote my fellow countrymen, it is a right denied to many in the world. Let us see if we all truly believe in creating something better. Today, today I feel a glimmer of hope.