READER LETTER | Media coverage of elections is going to be interesting

Not long ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the date of elections as May 29. The day will be declared a public holiday to allow many citizens to vote. High voter turnout, especially among the youth, who make a majority, is expected.

According to political pundits, this year’s elections will be a game-changer. There might be a shift in power and coalition governments might be the order of the day. Independent candidates will also take part in the coming general elections for the very first time.

The ANC has been in power for 30 years uninterrupted. That’s a long time, especially in the so-called democracy. This shows the faith voters had in the governing party. Did voters get a return on their investment by voting ANC? There is no easy answer.

There is a possibility that the ANC can lose power and warm the opposition benches. There is also a possibility that it can retain power. The truth is, Ramaphosa’s party is still popular with the masses. And there is no political party that can individually dethrone it.

Interestingly, more than 600 political parties are going to take part in the forthcoming elections. That’s too much administration work for the trusted Independent Electoral Commission. How is the ballot paper going to look like?

One role player that I’m interested in in the forthcoming elections is the media. Given the high number of political parties that will be partaking, how is the media going to cover these elections? Will small parties be given a fair coverage? In most cases, small parties are compromised.

What about independent candidates? These need media to spread their messages more than political parties. It’s almost impossible for them to reach all the corners of SA.  I’m yet to see a poster of an independent candidate. Will the media come to their rescue?

While this is going to be an interesting and exciting time for the media, it’s also going to be challenging. It’s likely to be accused of being biased towards certain political parties.

It's objectivity and flexibility will also be put into test. Will it pass the litmus test? Only time will tell.

Thabile Mange, Kagiso