Over the weekend I had an opportunity to interview and engage with people of all ages including young first-time voters at some of the registration stations in the area.
They all had their strong opinions about their definition of democracy and what they expect out of it.
Some disclosed how they are disappointed with the state of the country and feel it is fast sliding further down into a dark hole which would take a miracle to find our way out it.
One even went as far as comparing it to Zimbabwe.
While others still have confidence that one day we will get it right and successfully fight corruption.
They are also grateful for the achievements, which include access to education, social grants for the poor, free access to health facilities and more.
Others said they would not participate in the upcoming elections, claiming their lives have not changed since the dawn of democracy.
They argue that the forever decreasing job opportunities are leaving many trapped below the poverty line.
The recent statistics released by the Electoral Commission on Tuesday reflected that more than 700 000 new voters registered during the final registration weekend, bringing the total number of registered voters on the voters’ roll to 26 727 921.
Most encouragingly, of the 703 794 new registrations, more than 81 percent (574 899) are under 30.
This means the youth have heeded the call to register and understand their responsibilities and how important their vote is.
It is more impressive that Gauteng has the most registered voters, 6 366 629 or 23.8 percent of the total voters’ roll.
This shows that not all is lost. We are all ready to make a difference using the power of our vote.
I am not one to tell people what to do, but let us all be reminded of the implications of abstaining from the elections.
You are handing over that responsibility to the next person to make the decision on your behalf, and that you are comfortable with whatever decision they make.
You are saying no matter what the outcome may be, you will not complain and point a finger during the five years the winning party will be in power.
I believe many downplay the importance of a single vote. Remember in a journey of thousand miles, each step counts.
