Like many other democratic countries, South Africa prepares for its citizens to register for the elections, which will be in progress this weekend, September 18 and 19.
The main question on everyone’s mind when discussing this year’s Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) registration is, will the participation of the new voters and young adults increase or most likely decrease?
The answer is based on various factors: social media content, the accessibility of news and information, the interaction and communication which an individual has with their peers and of course, the political stance to which an individual is entitled to.
Young South African adults are more than capable of voicing out their concerns and opinions on an issue that is being presented. This can be seen through various movements such as the #Feesmustfall, #MeToo and the Soweto Uprising, which all greatly affected South Africa as a whole and was initiated by young adults.
Bryanston resident Simphiwe Kubheka, who is currently studying electrical engineering at the University of Pretoria, is very optimistic about seeing young participants register for the IEC election. He highlighted the importance of voting as a young member of society.
“Young adults need to take this seriously because it (IEC registration) has a major impact on our future. Politics shape society as a whole. Based on my observation with the numbers of young citizens getting vaccinated so quickly, it somehow proves to me that the pandemic has no negative influence on the younger generation pulling out of registering for the IEC election,” said the 23-year-old, Kubheka.
“We need to create awareness because some people genuinely do not know about this. Post about it so that others know. I am encouraging young South Africans to make a conscious decision to vote and also consider the implications of that because it’s our future and we have to invest in it.”
If you are over the age of 18 and are a South African citizen, take the time off to make a change by registering for the IEC election on September 18 and 19. Your vote matters.
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