There has been a concern about the poor voter turnout in every general election since 2009 and, especially concerning the youth, as reported in The Citizen on 20 October.

This is because without active participation in voting, our democratic system is at stake. For no democracy can prosper without the people participating in it.

Society cannot function without politics

The youth doesn’t vote because it is ignorant about politics. The youth has been made to wrongly believe that a society can function without politics. Nothing in this world happens without politics.

Inflation is politics, economics is politics and nothing is without politics. This applies on a global scale as well.

The youth does not vote because of their emotional state

The youth doesn’t vote because it finds itself very discouraged, hopeless and disgusted by politics.

The stigma that politics is a dirty, dishonest, business is being enhanced by our political leaders daily.

Our leaders continuously fail to be politicians who say what they mean and mean what they say.

This has led the youth to believe that change can’t really happen through politics which has, unfortunately, created a leadership vacuum that is being filled by the very same politicians we don’t need.

Politics has been considered valueless by the youth, because a lot of discussions about the youth happens without the youth. They feel as if they don’t have a seat at the table.

The youth find themselves not voting because they don’t see themselves in the people they must vote for.

Politicians availing themselves for election are out of touch with the youth and are unable to be their role models.

I recently participated in various student representative council elections at universities and when I asked several students who the Cabinet members in our government were. Few couldn’t name them.

Politicians need to learn how to serve

We need politicians who will practice servant leadership.

And the Electoral Commission of South Africa should embark on a programme that provides voting knowledge to schools.

-Mthembu is News24’s Young Mandela 2022 winner in the leadership category

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