As the next generation, I feel it is up to us to register and participate in the democratic process for the year 2024. According to the statistics there are currently just under 14 million unregistered young South Africans (aged 18-35 years old). We have the largest and influential voting group in South Africa, in order to make our voices heard it is crucial that we take part in shaping our country for a better tomorrow as we hold the key to the elections.
If you take a look at the numbers carefully you’d come to realize that the youth can definitely dislodge the ANC. But first, it is quite important to find out what causes young voters to have had no interest in voting, so that we can work on changing the minds of many and this is not only a job for politicians and political parties. I’ll let you in as a young individual who had no interest in voting either once upon a time. Many look at politics as naturally stagnant with no progress as far as what meets the eye, corrupt, and don’t actively respond to the voiced concerns. Seeing the lack of progress and broken promises can really discourage one to even engage in a system that has been flawed for the longest time. At some point you feel disillusioned by the political system with the lack of service delivery and ethical leadership eventually convincing yourself that your one vote won't make a difference, the person perception of the political arena influences the decision a person will make at the end of the day.
Another contributing factor to the disinterest among us is the lack of political education. Students may not receive enough education about the government, civics and why voting is of such importance. Our school system doesn’t do justice to it, they often fail to emphasize the significance of and teach more about political participation. The absence of proper guidance from an understanding age leads to our youth increasingly struggling to fully comprehend the importance of voting and fully understand the complications that come with the political system which shouldn’t be discouraging. In turn, not fully grasping these terms leads to misconceptions and lack of understanding that can outweigh their potential interest in the subject and lead to political apathy. I wouldn’t completely say it is being ignorant, but to a certain extent it really is, I’m sorry to be playing devils advocate but I guess that’s what I am even on here for.
There are consequences to choosing to abstain from voting, such as unwarranted decision making and representation that is not up to par. In saying this what I mean is politicians in power are more than likely to provide for the wants and needs of those who contributed to them being elected. So if we as the youth aren’t voting, some of our issues might not be resolved, namely; the fast declining unemployment rate, funding for/limited access to quality education and social issues such as violence, substance abuse etc. And because of the intergenerational gap, the older generation might see the urgency of the issues we face as they can’t relate. This gap genuinely needs to be bridged and have a balance in power obviously starting small, we need to see young people on candidate lists, be it local or national government for proper representation to push for youth issues.
These are issues that will directly affect the youth now in the long term if not addressed at the earliest convenience. By voting as a united front we could elect leaders who change the game by prioritising job creation to build a more vigorous economy. What the youth doesn’t take into consideration is the fact that they’re not only just sitting on the sideline and not voting but they aren’t increasing the oppositions voting numbers simultaneously. With a reformed educational system, our country stands a chance at driving economic growth as a larger portion of the youth then understand the whole concept of voting and because a workforce with poor education is less competitive in the field, less innovative and will take the economy to the ground. A way in preventing this is by electing a competent political party.
Just as the youth of 1967 were able to start an uprising to take down the unjust apartheid government, the youth of today is able to make a statement, take a stand and let the government know that they are failing us dismally. And for young people to start taking part in the democratic process, they need to see other young people actively participating and voting with purpose, so it is important to nurture environments that encourage their participation. And the best way I believe to get through to young South Africans is through mainly social media, and schools. In doing so, opportunities can be created for young individuals to exercise their potential to the fullest as well educated and active citizens.
The point of my think piece really isn’t to encourage our youth to register and vote to unseat the ANC, but for them to do a little more research for themselves, watch more news channels and engage in thought provoking conversations that teach you more than what you already thought you knew. The main thing is to make sure you know the importance of voting, the importance of YOUR vote, which party deserves your vote and why, because not using your vote responsibly it’s as good as not voting at all.
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