As the countdown continues ahead of the eagerly-awaited general elections set to happen on May 29, conversations shedding light on the importance of encouraging the youth to come out in numbers to vote have also intensified.
Khulisa Social Solutions, a non-profit organisation, has been at the helm of driving critical discussions, further emphasising the importance of holding leaders accountable for corruption, wasteful expenditure, and poor service delivery.
It is stated that these conversations were critical to promoting youth voting, since only 19% of eligible legal voters under the age of 19 registered to vote in the 2019 elections, and only 15% of them cast ballots.
Moreover, the South African Voter Sentiment Report indicated that just 30% of people between the ages of 20 and 29 voted. In the under 30 and under 40 age groups, there are about 7 million and nearly 11 million unregistered voters, respectively.
The company emphasised that the data indicated that youth indifference in South Africa was a problem, with many of them appearing hopeless and disheartened.
Lesley Ann van Selm, managing director of Khulisa, said during the dialogue circles, specific questions were designed to encourage reflection and for youth to bring their ideas to the table.
“By encouraging these reflective and critical conversations on how to improve the political landscape, youth start to see the importance of voting in the 2024 elections,” said Van Selm.
The issues of inadequate service delivery, infrastructure development, job creation and youth opportunities, addressing inequality, and guaranteeing that all South Africans, regardless of background, have equal access to health care, education, and other necessities were among the other topics covered during Khulisa’s dialogue circles.
“They must take responsibility, and the law must be rigorously enforced. Whistle-blowers play a crucial role in exposing corruption, and we would ensure their protection. Implementing quality audits across various dimensions such as skills, financials, and resources will ensure transparency and accountability,” was the response of one of the participants at a dialogue circle in Rustenburg in April.
Another participant added: “Addressing inequality and ensuring equitable access to education, health care, and other necessities for all citizens is a fundamental priority. To achieve this, we would implement policies that guarantee equal opportunities across all communities. Government-sponsored family day programmes and activities would strengthen social bonds and community cohesion.
“Social campaign drives would empower individuals with information about equal rights and opportunities, promoting active citizenship and an eagerness to participant in local governance issues. Ultimately, we need to rebuild the relationship between citizens and local government.”
The Star