Youth Network ACTIVATE! Change Drivers joins the efforts of the IEC in a coordinated register-to-vote campaign
Youth Network ACTIVATE! Change Drivers joins the efforts of the IEC in a coordinated register-to-vote campaign
And aims to use voter registration weekend to register hundreds of South Africans across the country for the 2024 General Elections
By Zamayirha Peter
As the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) gears up for voter registration weekend, supported by political parties, and various civic society groups, National Youth Network ACTIVATE! Change Drivers is joining the countrywide efforts, through a nationwide coordinated campaign called #WeAreVoting. The campaign is aimed at rallying South African citizens to register on Saturday and Sunday, 18 and 19 November, to be eligible to vote in next year’s 2024 general elections.
The 2024 General election holds special significance as it witnesses the inclusion of independent candidates and the high emergence of new political parties. During the two-day voter registration weekend, voters will head to their local IEC offices and voter registration stations to verify their status at one of about 22,300 stations.
To register, South African citizens are required to produce a South African identity document: either a green barcoded ID book, a smart ID card, or a valid temporary ID certificate. Eligible voters are required to also provide an address or description of their place of residency or where they live. This is to enable the IEC to place correctly every voter in the designated wards and voting districts.
Partnerships that work
With the support of the United Nations Development Programme South Africa office (UNDP- SA), ACTIVATE!, has embarked on a nationwide awareness drive to encourage first-time voters to register and for existing voters to update their details.
The campaign was launched during Youth Month in June 2023 in Kagiso Gauteng and also found footing in Kwazulu Natal, Ntuzuma, Limpopo, Lenyenyemeant, Western Cape in the City of Cape Town as well as saw a host of several digital activations that caught the audiences of millions of South Africans, calling on young people to lead the call to register their communities for the 2024 General elections.
Why the Youth Vote Matters
Reflecting on the culmination of their efforts ahead of the voter registration weekend, Tebogo Suping places an emphasis on the importance of using young people as key leads to galvanize their communities to register to vote.
“The participation of young people is a fundamental requirement in the protection of our democracy. With the deepening lack of trust between public institutions and the people, it is important that we inculcate the culture of voting amongst young people, and emphasize this as not only the power/leverage they hold but also the duty they have to build South African democracy.”
“It is also important to educate young people on public policy participation and other civic information tools as decision-making instruments on how to vote and whom to vote for.” – Suping.
Despite having a youth population of over 60%, the number of young South Africans who participate in voting or other democratic processes is disproportionately lower.
The immediate consequence of this to both political parties and the youth (as a large demographic) is the missed opportunity to directly engage young people as the largest constituency and for young voters, a missed opportunity to play an integral part in having a say on who gets to exercise governing power over their interests and the wellbeing of their community and the society they can build to be proud of.
Register and win
Adding to their efforts, the youth network is also running a two-day long raffle as part of its door-to-door campaign where any members of the network – termed activators, who register a minimum of five (5) individuals, and share proof using the network’s internal communications, will be eligible to win one of three (3) vouchers to the value of R500.
“The overall outcome of this campaign is effectively aimed at protecting and restoring the integrity of South African Democracy by increasing the voter population. We are starting with mobilising eligible voters to register and hope to walk alongside another fellow South Africans as we rebuild our communities through collective active participation in the elections” – Suping ends.
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For Media inquiries:
Zamayirha Peter | +27 76 322 3598 | Email: communications@activateleadership.co.za
To join the activations or support the initiative contact:
Tebogo Suping | +27 76 622 8564 | Email: civics@activateleadership.co.za and tebogo@activateleadership.co.za
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