Independent Electoral Commission Chair Glen Mashinini has urged young people aged 16 and above to register to vote, as the freedom-fighting generations before them fought for this right.
Mashinini was speaking during the launch of the Schools Democracy Project in partnership with the basic education department, aimed at mobilising 16-year-old and older learners to register to vote. South Africans can register as voters from age 16 but are only able to vote at age 18.
The 2019 national elections saw a very low voter turnout. Almost 30 million South Africans are registered to vote, while youth votes accounted for the least as young people were pessimistic about changes their votes can bring.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga believes that initiatives like this can eradicate voter apathy among the youth.
“The learners must take charge of their future, take active steps to vote as the youth of 76 also took matters of their future into their own hands,” says Motshekga.
Learners with Identity Documents were registered on the voters roll among other activities at the launch. The IEC chairperson reminded the learners that the freedom to vote was a hard-fought right.
“People like Nelson Mandela fought for the right to vote and if the youth don’t use that vote they could end up living in dictatorships as witnessed on the African continent,” says Mashinini.
The learners highlighted the importance of such programs. This partnership is aimed at encouraging and educating learners to participate in civic and democracy education as well as voter registration.
