The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has endorsed the 2024 National and Provincial Elections as having been free and fair.
“The South African Human Rights Commission endorses the 2024 National General Elections as free and fair,” the commission said on Sunday.
The commission’s comments come as the Electoral Commission (IEC) is set to announce the results of the elections this evening at 6pm. South Africans went to the polls in the seventh national elections on Wednesday, 29 May.
The SAHRC observed the elections from 27- 29 May 2024.
During this period, the commission observed 161 voting stations and gathered 98 reflections from human rights officials and champions, resulting in a significant national footprint across 259 voting stations.
Reflections
“Our preliminary observations revealed that operationally, 83% of voting stations observed opened on time, and 98% of ballot boxes were assembled in the presence of party agents and observers, although some party agents arrived late.”
In its preliminary reflections, the commission said that 95% of stations had all essential materials, including ballot papers and pens.
It said that most voters took more than 30 minutes to complete their voting process; 16% took two hours or longer, 46% took 30-90 minutes, and 38% took less than 10 minutes.
“We observed that 70% of voting stations experienced connectivity issues. In terms of accessibility, 83% of people with disabilities were able to vote independently, though only 40 stations scored a 10/10 for accessibility.
“Furthermore, 87% of polling stations had measures in place for the elderly, pregnant persons, and other special categories. Security incidents were minimal; no significant issues were observed and minor issues such as inebriated voters, raised tempers, or party agent interference were promptly addressed by SAPS [South African Police Service].”
The SAHRC added that it was aware that the elections “do not occur without minor glitches”.
“Some voting centres experienced slow-moving queues extending into the early hours of the following day, and some voters were turned away, unable to exercise their democratic right due to administrative challenges of registration.
“In some areas voters could not cast their vote due to strike. The Electoral Commission also reported a missing ballot box in Umhlathuze Ward 14, KwaZulu-Natal, which fortunately had already been counted.”
“Our preliminary concerns include the adverse impact of the three-ballot process on turnaround time, the lack of understanding and proper implementation of the Section 24A process, and the lack of uniformity in certain processes, with some stations using one ballot box for mixed votes and others using three separate boxes.”
It further added that accessibility for people with disabilities remains a challenge, privacy in voting booths was a concern, and connectivity issues required officials to alternate between online and manual systems.
“Overall, the Commission observed that the elections proceeded smoothly, without major concerns. The minor challenges monitored do not impact the overall declaration of the elections as free and fair. The SAHRC is further committed to producing a comprehensive final report that reflects the full extent of its observations during the 2024 general elections.”
READ | SA elections were held under “peaceful” conditions – African Union Mission
READ | SADC electoral mission gives Elections 2024 seal of approval
The commission expressed gratitude to South Africans who participated in large numbers to exercise their democratic right to vote.
“We remain committed to ensuring that the civil and political rights of all participants are upheld throughout the electoral process,” it said. – SAnews.gov.za
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.
In religion and politics, people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second hand, and without examination.
It is easier to stay out than get out.
“The history of PR is… a history of a battle for what is reality and how people will see and understand reality.” – Stuart Ewen
“It’s PR that needs to be creative. It’s PR that needs to be new and different. It’s PR that needs to be original. The best way to establish a brand is to create a new category, and creating a new category requires creative thinking of the highest order.” – Al & Laura Ries
“PR is performance recognition” – Douglas Smith
“Everything you do or say is public relations.” – Unknown
“Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” – Nikos Kazantzakis
“If a young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is – that’s advertising. If the young man tells his date she’s intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he’s saying the right things to the right person and that’s marketing. If someone else tells the young woman how handsome, smart and successful her date is – that’s PR.” – S. H. Simmons
“The counsel on public relations is not an advertising man but he advocates for advertising where that is indicated. Very often he is called in by an advertising agency to supplement its work on behalf of a client. His work and that of the advertising agency do not conflict with or duplicate each other.” – Edward Bernays
PR people are often called “spin doctors,” which to us conjures up images of weird zombie voodoo witch doctors. While we like to think of ourselves as good witches rather than bad witches, there’s certainly an element of magic to what we do. What’s our method? We can’t reveal all of our secrets.
“PR is a mix of journalism, psychology, and lawyering – it’s an ever-changing and always interesting landscape.” – Ronn Torossian
“Public-relations specialists make flower arrangements of the facts, placing them so the wilted and less attractive petals are hidden by sturdy blooms.” – Alan Harrington
“The art of publicity is a black art; but it has come to stay, and every year adds to its potency.” – Learned Hand
“Spin doctors are: “professional political strategists, able on behalf of their clients to manipulate the media – planting a story here, a rumour there, a tip-off somewhere else – so that any piece of news is tailored to show them in the best possible light.” – Michael Shea
Quotes On Ethics and PR
Ironically – considering how much of our work involves maintaining and improving reputations – PR doesn’t always have the best rep when it comes to ethics. Some people, because of bad things that they’ve done in the past, have even been called propagandists. But there’s a big ethical difference between real PR and simple propaganda, and here it is: PR is always solidly rooted in fact. PR is part of the good fight, as the wise people quoted below have recognized.
“PR means telling the truth and working ethically – even when all the media want is headlines and all the public wants is scapegoats. Public relations fails when there is no integrity.” – Viv Segal of Sefin Marketing
“Publicity is the very soul of justice. It is the keenest spur to exertion, and the surest of all guards against improbity.” – Jeremy Bentham
“We believe PR should be practiced to serve the public interest, to develop mutual understanding between organizations and their publics.” – James E. Grunig
“Without publicity there can be no public support, and without public support every nation must decay.” – Benjamin Disraeli
“Advertising ministers to the spiritual side of trade. It is great power that has been entrusted to your keeping which charges you with the high responsibility of inspiring and ennobling the commercial world. It is all part of the greater work of the regeneration and redemption of mankind.” – Calvin Coolidge
“Publicity is a great purifier because it sets in action the forces of public opinion, and in this country public opinion controls the courses of the nation.” – Charles Evans Hughes
Joan Jett didn’t give a damn about her reputation, but unless you’re a teenage rock star, you should probably give a damn about yours.
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffet
“It is generally much more shameful to lose a good reputation than never to have acquired it.” – Pliny the Elder
“What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Reputation matters because your behind is always behind you.” – Happy Masina
“There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.” – Brendan Behan
“If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.” – Unknown
“Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory.” – Arthur Ashe
“Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.” – Mark Twain CLICK TO TWEET
People as disparate as Malcolm X and John D. Rockefeller both spoke to the power and importance of public image. Since PR is something that people who are so fundamentally different can agree on, you know there must be something fundamentally important about it. If you ‘re still not convinced that public relations is absolutely critical to the success of your business, you’ll change your mind after visiting MyPR.co.za.
“PR is extremely important, and being able to use it in the right way means everything. You have to market your success.” – Lee Haney, bodybuilder and former Mr. Olympia
“In a downturn, aggressive PR and communications strategy is key.” – Doug Leone, VC, Sequoia Capital – Silicon Alley Insider
“If I was down to the last dollar of my marketing budget I’d spend it on PR!” – Bill Gates
“Public relations are a key component of any operation in this day of instant communications and rightly inquisitive citizens.” – Alvin Adams
“Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad.” – Richard Branson
“Historically, PR, Marketing and Advertising budgets are the first to be cut; however, that could be one of the first mistakes a business makes in an economic crisis.” – CBSMarketwatch
“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power.” – Malcolm X
“Publicity is the life of this culture – in so far as without publicity capitalism could not survive – and at the same time publicity is its dream.” – John Berger
“I suspect in most companies, the public relations person is down at No. 20 in the pecking order. But here, he is fighting incredibly important battles. If a negative story starts running away with itself in the press and is not dealt with fast, it can badly damage the brand, and so we put enormous weight on our PR people.” – Richard Branson
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” – Rudyard Kipling
“Publicity is a great purifier because it sets in action the forces of public opinion, and in this country public opinion controls the courses of the nation.” – Charles Evans Hughes
“Without publicity there is no prosperity.” – Yakov Zel’dovich
“Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make.” – Bill Bernbach, advertising pioneer and founder of DDB
“Today, journalism is such a persuasive factor in opinion building that no person, group or business can claim immunity or afford to under-estimate the ability of the fourth estate to affect their fortunes – either for better or for worse.” – Gigi van der Rie
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.” – Daniel J. Boorstin
Public relations is the deliberate and strategic management of relationships between an organization and its key public. In other words, it’s all about communication.
Public relations practitioners use a variety of tools and tactics to build mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its target audiences. This can include everything from media relations and crisis communications to social media outreach and event planning.
The goal of public relations is to help an organization achieve its objectives by positively influencing how the public perceives it.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to public relations. The strategies and tactics used will vary depending on the organization’s specific goals, target audiences, and available resources.
Successful public relations campaigns typically share a few key characteristics, including a focus on long-term relationship building, two-way communication, and consistent messaging.
It sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. From managing complex campaigns to handling sensitive media inquiries, public relations professionals are constantly under pressure.
“The best PR is done when you’re not trying to do PR.” – Katie Paine
“There’s no one size fits all in PR just as there’s no one size fits all in journalism.” – Richard Edelman
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers” – Daniel Boorstin
“PR is about telling stories and helping an organization tell its story.” – Nancy Schwartz
“PR is not about getting attention; it’s about driving action.” – David Meerman Scott
“Successful PR is like good cooking. You bring all the ingredients together and then let them simmer.” – Lois Wyse
Successful PR is like good cooking. You bring all the ingredients together and then let them simmer. – Lois Wyse
“Public relations specialists make flower arrangements of the facts, placing them so the wilted and less attractive petals are hidden by sturdy blooms.” – Alan Harrington
“PR should be thought of as a marathon, not a sprint.” – Joe Pulizzi
There are many inspirational Seth Godin quotes out there but that’s definitely one of our favorite ones: “PR isn’t about changing people’s minds; it’s about giving them something worth their attention.” – Seth Godin
“PR is all about relationships—and strong relationships take time, patience and two-way communication.” – Media Bullseye
“If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend one dollar on PR.” – Bill Gates
“Always act like you have something to lose because you always do.” – Kelli Grant
“The best offense is a good defense.” – Unknown
“PR is extremely important, and being able to use it in the right way means everything. You have to market your success.” – Lee Haney
“There are three things I always come back to as an organization tries to earn awareness and credibility with its stakeholders: authenticity, transparency, and frequency.” – Steve Cody
“Reputation is what other people say about you when you leave the room; character is what you say about yourself when no one else is in the room.” – Joyce Brothers
Reputation is what other people say about you when you leave the room; character is what you say about yourself when no one else is in the room. – Joyce Brothers
“Novelty is necessarily innovation.” – Aaron Endre
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
“Actions speak louder than tweets.” – Unknown
People often have an unhindered perspective on what PR should be, and here is what AI & Laura Ries think of the same. “It’s PR that needs to be creative. It’s PR that needs to be new and different. It’s PR that needs to be original. The best way to establish a brand is to create a new category, and creating a new category requires creative thinking of the highest order.”
“Copy, not from your industry, but from others. You have to go where there is no competition.” – Seth Godin
“If a young man tells his date how handsome, smart, and successful he is – that’s advertising. If the young man tells his date she’s intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he’s saying the right things to the right person and that’s marketing. If someone else tells the young woman how handsome, smart, and successful her date is – that’s PR.” – S. H. Simmons
“Be nice, be consistent, be true, talk straight—those are my rules for success.” – Anne M. Mulcahy
“If your communications are born of sincerity instead of spin, if they reflect your company’s values rather than solely selling points—then all sorts of magical things can happen.” – Jeff Jarvis
“I define engagement as moments when our users interact with us in a way that makes them happy and propels them forward toward becoming customers or evangelists for our brand or product.” – Avinash Kaushik
“Inbound marketing and public relations are two sides of the same coin: The goal is seeking out relationships with individuals who have an interest in what you do before they even know they need it yet .” – Jay Baer
“Good PR doesn’t happen by accident. It’s earned through thoughtful planning and consistent execution against an objective .” – Christine Martin
“I strongly believe that effective communications must result in measurable business outcomes or it’s simply not worth doing .” – Jesse Redniss
On the aspect of PR being more effective than a front page ad, the British business magnate and author, Richard Branson quotes, “Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front-page ad.”
The importance of public relations can be felt in every working field. In this context, Alvin Adams, the retired American professional basketball player quotes, “Public relations are a key component of any operation in this day of instant communications and rightly inquisitive citizens.”
Edward Bernays believes in the mutual understanding of the professional and the profession to foster better terms of performance and success and thus quotes, “The counsel on public relations is not an advertising man but he advocates for advertising where that is indicated. Very often he is called in by an advertising agency to supplement its work on behalf of a client. His work and that of the advertising agency do not conflict with or duplicate each other.”
“The public is the only critic whose opinion is worth anything at all.” – Mark Twain
“The history of PR is… a history of a battle for what is reality and how people will see and understand reality.” – Stuart Ewen
If you don’t believe how powerful PR tactics can be, here is what Abraham Lincoln quotes on the same, “What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.”
“Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” – Nikos Kazantzakis
“PR writing is so horribly consistent, or consistently horrible, that agencies even have a template for it.” – Mark Ragan
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffet
As Charles Evans Hughes rightly quotes, “Publicity is a great purifier because it sets in action the forces of public opinion, and in this country, public opinion controls the courses of the nation.”
“Skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it’s been”. – Wayne Gretzky
“PR is a mix of journalism, psychology, and lawyering – it’s an ever-changing and always interesting landscape.” – Ronn Torossian
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Sun Leo
Fun South African Fact: Can you think of any other place in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize winners lived on the same street? Both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu had houses on Vilakazi Street in Soweto.
Prez Dog
Bra / Bru – friend. This term is commonly used to call a friend, pal or buddy.