6 Million People Under 30 Have Not Registered To Vote, Mzansi Questions Purpose of Voting

• Six million young people under the age of 30 who are eligible to vote have not yet registered to vote
• An organisation campaigning for voters to register encouraged them to put their names up so they could vote in the 2024 general elections
• Wits University sociology professor Roger Southall told Briefly News why he thinks young people won't vote
• South Africans were worried about this figure and pleaded with the youth to register, while others saw no need to vote

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered policy changes and elections at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

Six million young people under 30 have not yet registered, and although there is increased awareness, there is a need for much work to be done to educate the youth to register to vote. This is according to Mbli Ntuli from Ground Work Collective, who encouraged young people to register to vote.

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6 million young people not registered to vote

According to eNCA, although most of those who registered to vote during the first voter registration drive were young, it is still a drop in the ocean of the potential 10 million young people who could register to vote. Ntuli revealed that research revealed that the political landscape overwhelms the youth, and there is not a lot of confidence and trust in local parties.

There is also insufficient education about why young people should vote and where they get involved in the country's democracy. The country's leaders also disillusioned people and are looking for alternative solutions.

Ntuli said that there are a lot of civil societies that are calling for young people to register to vote. She added that families must also discuss the importance of voting and how to express their democracy as a collective through balloting. She encouraged people to look at political parties' manifestos and engage with news outlets.

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Wits professor shares with Briefly News reasons

Professor Emeritus of sociology at Wits University, Dr. Roger Southall told Briefly News why he believed young people wouldn't vote.

"I think many younger people, especially Black Africans, feel ignored by politicians and lack respect for them. Prospects for many are poor, look at the level of unemployment. Nor do any political parties or politicians particularly engage them. Malema is a populist, but most people are cynical about him," he said.

Netizens questioned need for voting

South Africans on Facebook empathised with disillusioned people, and many questioned why they should vote.

Kealeboga Bois said:

"These potential voters are hopeless because most of them are unemployed."

Simphiwe Thafeni sid:

"We are not crazy. That's the reason. We're here at home, forgotten by the fools we voted for before."

Debe Solo observed:

"The six million that could potentially change the course of history choose to sit home and complain."

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Patric Burgess:

"No party is worth my vote."

Morta Kuku added:

"Let them register to dethrone the ANC."

More than 350 political parties registered with the IEC

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that the country has over 350 political parties registered with the Independent Electoral Commission.

It also revealed that 27 parties were registered between September and December 2023. South Africans were stunned by the sheer number of political parties on the ballot.

Source: Briefly News