On Monday, South Africans ventured out all over the country to cast their votes in this year’s national elections. Well, that’s if you weren’t turned away due to registration ‘issues’.
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The whole experience is somewhat exhilarating and there’s an undeniable buzz felt amongst communities writes Cape {town} Etc’s Robyn Simpson.
Part of the excitement is owed to the little purple stripe painted on your thumb. This year, a tub of ink and a cotton swob did the job.
Those pedantic about manicures went so far as to share tips and tricks on how to protect freshly painted nails from getting ruined. Everything from Vaseline to paint thinners came across my Instagram feed.
The temporary tattoo is just a part of the process, and all we can really do is hope that whoever paints our stripe is somewhat subtle and has a steady hand.
Over the years, I’ve seen some unfortunate ‘voting branding’ but I could barely contain myself when an old school friend shared her Picasso-like thumb on an Instagram story yesterday, November 2.
Abby Sinclair accepted her fate with an excellent sense of humour. “Also, I don’t know who messed up this guy’s coffee order this morning but he really has it out for us,” she wrote on her post.
She later celebrated with a glass of champagne, making me laugh out loud again. “Toast to my thumb coz it’s getting amputated in the am xoxo,” she added.
Abby tried using nail polish remover and “drowning it in sanitiser” to get the mark off. But, to no avail. “Some other suggestions I haven’t been brave enough to try yet: toothpaste, bicarbonate paste, milk (??), Jik, Doom.”
Though exercising our right to vote is most certainly something to celebrate, I can’t say I would be too thrilled about having a purple thumb. Nonetheless, Abby is a true legend for sporting us all with a good laugh.
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Pictures: Supplied