How First-Time Voters Perceive General Elections 2024
South Africa is going to the 2024 General elections, as the youth is faced with the highest youth unemployment scourge in this democratic history.
High unemployment then parents social ills such as drug and substance abuse, including resorting to crime and other illegal activities. In rural areas, it’s even tougher as there is already a lack of opportunity even if that is an opportunity to learn.
For society this means unskilled labour is at equal risk as the skilled, putting young people, including over 35’s in a vulnerable state of hopelessness.
The latter ‘2024 is our 1994’ in youth local circles, popular during the elections build-up, tells a story of how youth recognises a need for a lot to change but sometimes fixed here and there.
In particular rural communities and their youths are often left out of conversations having something to do with matters such as voter education, which often leads to an uninformed constituent demographic in these areas.
While their right to know such is supported even by law, they as citizens of the republic must know how to and why one has to vote in the first place rather than abstain.
A lack of voter education is the real issue here.
Piling up the list towards the ever-rising social ills directly hijacking bright futures, especially in black and previously disadvantaged communities.
Many others who boycotted voting in previous years have previously been known to abstain due to a lack of interest in politics.
However, NPO’s including Active Change Drivers, Africa Unite, Democracy Development Program and One Mark recognised a gap in voter education. This time in Menzi Micheal Qwabe’s hometown. Obviously supported by certain structures of the uMkhanyakude District including COGTA KZN.
Have you personally ever asked yourself, whether it’s more of a ‘lack of voter education’ thing, than conscious abstinence? Either way, the answer is voter education if there are still any hopes for people dubbed “Future Leaders” the youths.
RURAL YOUTHS ON A LACK OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES & FORGOTTEN OVER 35’s
Leadership is there within the younger generation of South Africans, the fact that even in rural areas means that is a beautiful thing. Menzi Qwabe, the ACTIVE CHANGE DRIVERS team and other organisations, recently proved that in KwaSkhemele
One issue then becomes a lack of tech skills often attributed to basic education but more than anything, that self-starter attitude amongst young South Africa’s previously disadvantaged communities. Although these communities are still largely disadvantaged in many ways.
According to Musa Gcina of Ward 20, a Umkhanyakude District young man living with a disability. The youth need to also change their attitude when it comes to how opportunities are created and maybe they might see opportunities for what they are and what is usually waiting from the corner.
Musa is however over 35 and likes the African National Congress as he feels as though, being a person living with a disability, they are the only government that brought back his community’s dignity. Including availing them job opportunities and advocating for them across the board.
Gumede, over 35 himself, is a local arts and culture NPO founder. He feels as if those in leadership positions often take urban areas youth more seriously than rural youth and that has to change. A creative himself, he believes, the fact that most leaders live in cities or suburbs tells a story. And Is reason enough behind the death of this creative industry across uMkhanyakude District. Going to the polls this Wednesday, he says he would appreciate at least one Theatre for those interested in Dramatic arts, across uMkhanyakude. With his arts and culture NPO he aims to address issues faced by those who are good at nothing else but creative arts.
After 35, Gumede told Active Change Drivers that uMkhanyakude youth are hungry for agriculture programs. He said this time the agriculture department should bring about proper infrastructure, unlike what happened 8 years ago. According to him, the latter started crumbling without being tempered with and that defeated the purpose these were meant for in KwaSkhemelele’s greater uMhlabuyalingana.
THE CURRENT POLITICAL SYSTEM ACCORDING TO THE YOUTH/FIRST-TIME VOTER
Sive is just as inquisitive and opinionated as me, he believes politics in the country are not as they are presented to be. And according to him, South African bogus political leaders carry themselves as true leaders while presenting their political founders, funders and master agendas. This then defeats the purpose of elections, where when you trust someone you only later discover the true essence of what they claim. Sive Tshalangana is from the Eastern Cape, is deeply rooted in politics but interested in participating as this time, he is not going to be voting even after the debate. He abstains from these elections.
Not all attendees are comfortable mentioning their names after community programs, with something to do with politics and opinion. One young man who asked not to be mentioned expressed how there is a need for water and sanitation problems to be fixed as water is part of everyday life. Going on to touch on how a lack of job opportunities is also affected by what political party one aligns with even in terms of membership, in uMkhanyakude, although he is voting the Inkatha Freedom Party these elections based on their argument, in a debate and manifesto which was inclusive of young people according to him.
MAJOR TAKEOUTS FROM THE DEBATE AUDIENCE/FLOOR
The feeling especially from the youth of kwaMhlabuyalingana area carried a need for there to be more of such programs, saying it was eye-opening, especially for first-time voters. More mainly because they teach respect no matter how much you disagree, including rules of engagement when addressing someone or something.
Thobani Ndlazi of Lulwane in KwaSkhemelele is a first-time voter in these elections and he expresses how the debate itself had been his first ever political event to attend. This has, however, assisted him make an informed decision going to the polls for the first time ever and he came out feeling educated about voting. He said before he went to this Active Change Drivers event, he always thought blood would always spill in rural KZN when different political parties argue over some issue to be addressed. Not anymore.
Sanele Mpanza of Ward 6 in kwaSkhemele, expressed his gratitude to people like Menzi Qwabe for making it possible for his area to have such an experience as uMhlabuyalingana. Mpanza’s overall takeout was how misinformed some political representatives were about their manifestos. His friendly advice was for political leaders at the local level to truly study their manifesto to avoid misleading people in broad daylight because they never know who is listening. It could be a potential voter.
RURAL YOUTH DESERVE EQUAL ATTENTION AS URBAN YOUTH
Rural areas are often not paid attention to until the election season whether local or general. Sometimes if something disastrous recently happened there.
If an area is not paid attention to. Weeds grow just like in any other garden. In the context of South Africa going to the polls, drug and substance abuse, unemployment and lack of inspiration are some of the weeds any political party avoids whether national or local, especially in rural communities. Even in this debate nobody presented anything having to do with at least solving one of these issues.
A political party that wins these elections. Will have more first-time voters than before, having experienced uMhlabuyalingana people before and after the engagement. Where most of them came out more confident in their understanding and trusting themselves to make an informed decision on Wednesday, 29 May 2024.
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