The Youth Aren’t Apathetic; They Are Disappointed: Low voter turnout
Article By: Yanganani Gora, Munei Zoe Mbedzi, Zandile Mnisi, Owam Gugushe, Ligugu Gogo, Lwanele Godlwana, and Onenceba Zondani
We live in a very progressive generation. One that does not tolerate crime, violence, and injustice of any form. Gen Z is not an easily tolerated generation that lets things go unnoticed or awful things be swept under the rug. Corruption, greed, and the love of money have reared themselves into South African politics and tainted how we view political leaders as the youth. It is highly unfair to expect a generation that refuses to be shackled to lies and submission to vote for leaders that do not embody anything that seems to be ethical.
One of the most prominent reasons as to why the youth does not want to vote is that there is no one to vote for.
Power has been misplaced and doesn’t work in our benefit. If a political leader isn't being accused of sexual assault, fraud, or having an illegal firearm, they are hiding money in their couches. The issue isn't that the youth don’t want to vote, but rather that there is absolutely no one to vote for. Many leaders only act when it’s time to vote, when it’s time to campaign, gather numbers, and make false promises. Many political parties only fix issues two years before elections, and when they get put in power, the work stops and the greed continues. Voter apathy among the youth is not irrational or dramatic.
According to Lauren Tracey, in 2016, a nineteen-year-old student from Cape Town was living in a shack and said that he hasn’t seen change in his environment for years. In the same breath, another student the same age said that he doesn’t see the value in voting because nothing ever changes. As the youth, voting feels like signing away the little hope we have that one day in the future it will get better, even though we secretly know that it won't. Political leaders are of an older age, which makes it difficult for us as the youth to relate, and this discourages us from wanting to vote. It is time that, as the youth, we rise and become the leaders we want to see. We need to be able to implement change by putting each other in places of power and serving our communities and our people.
Situations like that of the Madlanga Commission are more evidence as to why the youth is discouraged.
People put in positions of power misuse state money for their own benefit, leaving us, as the citizens of the country, violated, in poverty, and regretful of who we voted for. Women in the country are unsafe, and our president has declared GBV a national disaster, yet nothing has changed. Millions and millions of rands have been taken from the people of this country, and for the youth, voting feels like we’d be folding our arms and allowing “bygones to be bygones”
To encourage a higher voter turnout among the youth, we need leaders who care and prove that power isn't being mishandled; we need youth-led campaigns and initiatives supported by the youth; marginalised voices need to be amplified; and corruption needs to be phased out of our system. Money must be given back; health care conditions and schools need to be fixed. Leaders need to give us a reason to vote for them and maintain it.
Asikuko ukuba ulutsha alukhathali; ludanile: Inani eliphantsi labavoti
Inqaku Ngo: Yanganani Gora, Munei Zoe Mbedzi, Zandile Mnisi, Owam Gugushe, Ligugu Gogo, Lwanele Godlwana, and Onenceba Zodani
Siphila kwisizukulwana esiqhubela phambili kakhulu. Sisizukulwana esinganyamezeli ulwaphulo-mthetho, ubundlobongela, okanye ukungabikho kobulungisa ngayo nayiphi na indlela. Isizukulwana sika-Gen Z asisivumeli isimo sokuba izinto zingahoywa okanye izenzo ezimbi zifihlwe zingabonwa. Ubuqhophololo, ukunyoluka, kunye nokuthanda imali kungene kwezopolitiko zaseMzantsi Afrika kwaye konakalise indlela thina njengolutsha esizi bona ngayo iinkokeli zezopolitiko. Akulunganga ukulindela kwisizukulwana esala ukubopheleleka kubuxoki nokuthobela, ukuba sivotele iinkokeli ezingabonakalisi naluphi na uphawu lokuziphatha kakuhle okanye imilinganiselo eyamkelekileyo. Esinye sezizathu eziphambili zokuba ulutsha lungafuni ukuvota kukuba akukho mntu ufanelekileyo onokuvotelwa. Amandla olawulo asetyenziswa ngendlela engalunganga kwaye akusebenzi kuluncedo lwethu. Ukuba inkokheli yezo politiko ayityholwa ngokuhlaselwa ngokwesondo, ubuqhophololo, okanye ukuba nompu osingekho emthethweni, iba ifihle imali kwizitulo zayo. Ingxaki ayikuko ukuba ulutsha alufuni ukuvota, kodwa kukuba akukho mntu kwaphela onokuvotelwa. Iinkokeli ezininzi zenza kuphela xa kufike ixesha lovoto, xa kufike ixesha lokwenza amaphulo, ukuqokelela inkxaso, nokwenza izithembiso ezingeyonyani. Amaqela amaninzi ezopolitiko alungisa iingxaki kuphela kwiminyaka emibini ngaphambi konyulo, kwaye xa sele enamandla olawulo, umsebenzi uyayeka kuze kuqhubeke ukubawa. Ukungakhathali kolutsha malunga nokuvota akuyonto ingenangqiqo okanye eyenziwe yaba nkulu ngaphezu kwemfuneko.
Esinye sezizathu ezibalaseleyo zokuba kutheni ulutsha lungafuni ukuvota kukuba akukho mntu unokuvotela. Amandla alahlekile kwaye akasebenzi kwinzuzo yethu. Ukuba inkokeli yezopolitiko ayityholwa ngokuxhaphaza ngokwesondo, ubuqhophololo, okanye ukuba nompu ongekho mthethweni, ifihla imali kwiisofa zayo. Umba awungowokuba ulutsha alufuni kuvota, koko akukho mntu unokuvotela. Iinkokeli ezininzi zisebenza kuphela xa ilixesha lokuvota, xa ilixesha lokukhankasa, ukuqokelela amanani, nokwenza izithembiso zobuxoki. Amaqela amaninzi ezopolitiko alungisa imiba kwiminyaka emibini kuphela phambi konyulo, kwaye xa efakwa kulawulo, umsebenzi uyayeka kwaye nokubawa kuyaqhubeka. Ukungakhathali kwabavoti kulutsha akukho ngqiqweni okanye kuyamangalisa.
NgokukaLauren Tracey (2016), umfundi oneminyaka elishumi elinesithoba waseKapa wachaza ukuba wayehlala ematyotyombeni yaye engazange abone naluphi na utshintsho olubonakalayo kwindawo ahlala kuyo kangangeminyaka. Kwangelo xesha, omnye umfundi oneminyaka efanayo wavakalisa ukuba akaboni sizathu okanye xabiso lokuthatha inxaxheba kunyulo, kuba ngokokubona kwakhe akukho nguqu yenzekayo emva kokuvota.
Le mbono ibonakalisa indlela ulutsha oluninzi oluziva ngayo, apho ukuvota kuthathwa njengesenzo esibonakala ngathi sinciphisa ithemba lokufumana ikamva elingcono, nangona kukho umnqweno wokubona utshintsho oluzinzileyo. Enye yezizathu ezikhankanywayo kukuba uninzi lweenkokeli zopolitiko luphuma kwizizukulwana ezindala, nto leyo eyenza kube nzima kulutsha ukuzibona lumelwe okanye lunxulumane nazo. Oku kukhokelela ekunciphiseni umdla wolutsha ekuthatheni inxaxheba kunyulo. Ngenxa yoko, kubalulekile ukuba ulutsha luzibandakanye ngakumbi kwiinkqubo zobunkokeli ukuze lube yinxalenye yotshintsho olunqwenelwayo. Oku kungafezekiswa ngokuxhasana phakathi kolutsha, ukubeka abantu abafanelekileyo kwizikhundla zobunkokeli, kunye nokuzinikela ekukhonzeni uluntu ngendlela eza kuphucula impilo-ntle yoluntu ngokubanzi. Iimeko ezifana neyeKhomishini yakwaMadlanga zingqina ngakumbi isizathu sokuba ulutsha luphelelwe lithemba. Abantu ababekwe kwizikhundla zamandla basebenzisa kakubi imali karhulumente ukuze bazuze bona, nto leyo esishiya thina, njengabemi beli lizwe, siphathwe gadalala, sihlupheka, kwaye sizisole ngabo sabavotela. Abafazi kweli lizwe abakhuselekanga, kwaye nangona umongameli wethu ebhengeze ukuba ugonyamelo olusekelwe kwisini (GBV) yintlekele yesizwe, akukho nto itshintshileyo. Izigidi ngezigidi zeerandi zithathiwe kubemi beli lizwe, kwaye kulutsha, ukuvota kuvakala ngathi kukuzibamba izandla nokuvumela izinto ezimbi ezenzekileyo ukuba zilibaleke nje
Ukuze sikhuthaze ulutsha oluninzi ukuba luye kuvota, sidinga iinkokeli ezinenkathalo nezibonisa ngezenzo ukuba amandla abaphathwa ngawo awasetyenziswa gwenxa. Sidinga amaphulo namanyathelo akhokelwa lulutsha, axhaswe lulutsha. Amazwi abantu abahlelelekileyo kufuneka aphakanyiswe, kwaye urhwaphilizo kufuneka lupheliswe kwinkqubo yethu. Imali kufuneka ibuyiselwe ebantwini. Iimeko zenkonzo yezempilo nezikolo kufuneka ziphuculwe. Iinkokeli kufuneka zisinike isizathu sokuba sibavotele, zize ziqhubeke nokusigcina eso sizathu ngokwenza oko zikuthembisileyo.
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