Time to move on to the next stage of our political development

What matters is what happens after the election results are announced. We have moved forward as a country and there is every reason to celebrate.

South Africans should look at these elections as a stepping stone to a better country.

If the ANC continues to shed votes and the opposition gains ground, we should then be viewed as a maturing democracy.

Though the ANC carries the burden of taking South Africa to another level, voters are beginning to ask more of all parties.

Service delivery and social justice have taken centre stage. Voters are beginning to get tired of the slogans and of parties who bask in their glorious history. Real issues are being raised. Any shift in the polls will determine our future.

The ANC under Jacob Zuma has many challenges and under his rule voters have raised questions that need answers. It is up to the ruling party to decide how it deals with its political dominance. If the strategy is to win at all costs, we are likely to see an ANC that is more right-wing. We have seen this happen in other African countries ruled by former liberation movements that adopt right-wing policies when their power is threatened.

The past elections have been a breeze for the ANC which has faced no major challenge. But, with the DA pushing and the emergence of the Economic Freedom Fighters, the road ahead will be difficult for it.

We should begin to question whether our electoral system is still relevant. Having gone through five national elections, we have every right to look at our systems. Are we ready to elect the president and the premiers direct and not have them imposed on us by the winning party?

The voting yesterday points to a country that is moving forward despite the daily challenges. Buying votes with food parcels, and the other election gimmicks we have seen in the past few months, will soon have had their day. Real issues that affect people's lives will begin to take centre stage. Yesterday's polls are a barometer of whether we are winning or regressing.