Universities

South Africa’s freedom generation turning their back on elections

A majority of South Africa’s youth say NO to voting

Published

on

Young South Africans make up the majority of eligible voters who have not registered to take part in this week’s elections and with a majority of those who have registered unenthusiastic about casting their votes in this weeks elections.

Taking that among citizens aged 18 to 29 – the biggest segment of the voting population – registrations are at the lowest in at least a decade, raising concerns amongst political parties, however, young South Africans are standing behind their decision saying, they don’t trust any of the main political parties to address the issues that matter to them.

“There is an element of voter apathy and not political apathy — in universities, you see robust and noisy politics which is usually powerful enough to effect change,” said Mpumelelo Mkhabela, an independent political analyst.

We have seen countless protests over the years, with students demanding free education, but the problems do not end there as graduates are faced with unemployment.

More than half of South Africans aged 15 to 24 seeking work are unemployed, with the rate vying with Bosnia and Herzegovina and neighboring Eswatini’s to be the world’s worst, World Bank data show.

With a majority of young South Africans backing off from voting, what does this mean for their future, transformation and security or ongoing problems?

Don't miss out!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Receive updates to our newsletter!

Invalid email address
Give it a try. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for Subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions.
Click to comment

Trending

© 2020 COPYRIGHT VARSITYTV | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WEBSITE DESIGNED & DEVELOPED BY BITE WEB SOLUTIONS