Publications
Partners
If the current number of unregistered citizens under the age of 30 were to all register and vote for one party in the upcoming 2019 national and provincial elections, that party would win by a resounding majority.
As it stands, this will not be the case since the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) has revealed that only 16% of South Africans between the ages of 18 and 19 have registered to vote, while a mere 54% of the country’s population between the ages of 20 and 29 have made the effort to register for the upcoming polls.
“These are shocking statistics that need to be rectified,” said IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini, who spoke to City Press on Thursday after unveiling an innovative communication and education campaign to encourage South Africa’s youth to register and vote in this year’s elections.
The campaign takes two formats: advert and logo. It features young South Africans from all walks of life detailing why they believe it is important for young people to vote in the upcoming polls.
It utilises the catch phrase “Xsê” – a play on the Afrikaans phrase “Ek sê”, which means “I say” – and is a call to action.
Mashinini said it was imperative that the youth be heard via the exercise of their votes in the upcoming elections, given the fact that they make up more than half of the country’s population and are the most affected by the inequalities endemic to South Africa.
“This campaign goes beyond the fact that the youth are the most affected by high levels of unemployment and lack of housing,” he said. “They should make their voices heard because the more people who vote, the more legitimate the result will be.
“In the 2014 elections, the ANC won by 11 436 921 votes – that is 62.15% of the total valid votes, which stood at 18 402 497.
“Currently, young people eligible to vote constitute more than 15 million of the country’s population. However, just over 5 million have registered. If all 15 million voted for one party, that party would win by a majority,” said Mashinini.
IEC chief executive Sy Mamabolo agreed: “Elections are more than the technical act of marking a ballot; they are an act of refreshing the edifice of government through electing new public representatives.”
Mashinini alluded to the fact that instead of making their voices heard through destructive means, such as violent protests, the youth had a chance to have a say in what direction they want to see the country go.
Speaking to City Press on Friday during a campaign in Diepsloot, Gauteng, DA leader Mmusi Maimane also expressed concern over the lack of registration by young people.
“We as a party will be going out during the final weekend of January to encourage young people to vote. They are the most affected by the current socioeconomic situation and should be making their voices heard through their votes,” he said.
The IEC executives acknowledged that despite low youth registration, overall voter registration figures were impressive, given the fact that “South Africa does not operate on a compulsory voter registration policy like some countries”.
