Low voter turnout is a sign of a hopeless nation

The low voter turnout speaks to a political leadership vacuum – not just in the ruling party, but holistically in the country when citizens find that there is no point in seeking a political alternative.

If people thought there was, the numbers would have said this… the numbers tell a story of political hopelessness.

What makes matters worse is that the ruling party has been tarnished with maladministration and corruption scandals.

And opposition parties have very little plan to their manifestos if they do not criticise the ANC.

On the other side, the youth, so full of potential, are hopeless.

They did not show up in big numbers at voting stations to redirect the course of the country.

This speaks about an exhausted generation who have traded their ambitions for perhaps the absenteeism that coexists with the hangover of poverty, unemployment and denied opportunities that are the order of the day.

The youth are despondent because they were told that the sky was the limit and with their education and determination, South Africa belongs to all.

ALSO READ: Disturbingly low voter turnout recorded across all nine provinces thus far

Reality is, it only belongs to those who command political and economic recognition, those whose names and bank balances give them leverage to hold conversation with “kingmakers” who make or break tenderpreneurs… and yet, they are expected to rush to the polls and allow for their otherwise muffled voices to be heard.

The youth are exhausted of selective acceptance to their voices! We have stories to tell of our democracy, these stories may differ from townships to urban areas, from villages to beach side homes.

We all have had different experiences of the government and the opposition parties alike.

But if there’s one true account that does not lie, it’s the numbers.

Numbers do not lie, numbers of those who do not believe the South African political space has any left to offer, that no matter what the landscape, there exists no alternative to the status quo.

That is what these sad numbers reflect, a nation that no longer has faith… we are now Covid-fatigued, Eskom-fatigued, crime-fatigued, a failing economy and education system-fatigued, unemployment-fatigued.

South Africa and her people are exhausted!