“I was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free.”
Nelson Mandela’s words mean much to struggle heroes and people who lived through the atrocities of Apartheid, but what do they mean to the generation of 1994?
Mandela’s children, the ‘born frees’ of our nation, were born in the year of South Africa’s first democratic elections. Many will cast their first vote in the upcoming general elections on May 7, in the 20th year of South Africa’s democracy.
Soheel Hariduth from Stanger has registered to vote and is looking forward to the experience.
“I do not know much about the past because I did not live through Apartheid. All I know is what my parents have told me, so my future is in my hands. Our generation can make a difference to the future and we must not throw that chance away.”
Ballito’s Sarah-Lee Watson said the idea of voting makes her nervous because it is not a flippant decision.
“We started our lives on the clean state of freedom and that is a wonderful gift. What better way to say thank you than to appreciate our right to political freedom and vote? I would love to see all the born-frees vote because if we do not, then we cannot complain for the next five years.”
Ballito beauty therapist Jacqui van Wyk holds a different view and has chosen not to head for the polls.
“It is not because I do not care about South Africa or all those who fought for our right to vote. I just do not feel my vote makes a difference in today’s political climate. Being a born free means I can only judge what I have seen growing up which does not make me happy.”
Groutville’s Themba Ngubani will also not be voting as a sign of protest.
“We have nothing, here where I live. I know there are people who say I must vote for a change but how many years have my parents been voting for a change that has still not come? The only time we see our leaders is when they want our vote, so I am not giving it to them.”
National statistics from the Independent Electoral Commission show only a third of South Africa’s born-frees registered to vote, despite targeted campaigns by the Independent Electoral Commission.
Only 33,6% of the born-frees are on the voters’ roll, which has now closed, meaning the born-free vote is unlikely to make a large impact in the upcoming elections as originally predicted.
