Download PDFIt has been 30 years since the advent of democracy. South Africans achieved democracy in 1994 when the majority had their first vote ever. Apartheid came to an end as the African National Congress (ANC) won the 1994 elections. Samson Khoza (48) from Daveyton says that he will always vote for the ANC because it set South Africans free. He also mentioned that his vote is no longer a secret because he is proud to choose a party that ended their misery. He reports that he now owns a house because of this party.
Morning Live invited smaller and new political parties to their studios to have a conversation about their manifestos and what they hope to achieve in this year’s elections. The invited parties, namely, Rise Mzansi, All Citizens Party, and Building One South Africa with Mmusi Maimane (Bosa) sat for the program.
Some of the themes which came up during the discussion were ‘fixing governance issues’, ‘fixing the education system’, and a promise that women should lead and will be at the forefront. The conversation also included how they plan on tackling poverty and creating employment. Mmusi Maimane from the Bosa party said that child support grants must start when the mother is pregnant.
Songezo Zibi added that the reason there is so much poverty is because there is poor leadership.
‘To bring change you must take charge, and the first step is voting. 2024 is our new 1994. The current leading party should be removed, now is a time for a new party to lead’, said Sibusiso Khambule (24) from Johannesburg. Khambule said that he has voted before and will vote again because his vote might create change.
Delight Masuku (24) from Etwatwa said he has never voted, and he will never vote because there are conflicts within political parties that never bring positive outcomes. He continued by saying that he is aware that his vote might help change something but he believes he can create some change by taking action and gathering the youth so they can create projects that will bring about change in their lives, this will also prove to the government that the youth is not lazy but just need opportunities.
‘I want to have a part in changing the country, whether the party I vote for wins or not, I will still be able to hold the government accountable. I strongly believe in accountability therefore if someone decides not to vote, they should not complain because they were given a chance to practice their rights,” said Karabo Ramphisa (32), also from Etwatwa.
Elections are a crucial time for South Africans because they must make sure the country is in the right hands; therefore they must vote for a party that will cater to their needs and attend to their grievances.
Editors’ note: the above account and the views of the political parties clearly show that the priorities of the parties during this election’s appointed date may appear to speak to the big issues in our communities but there is a message that the vote is the only way to change their conditions of the working class, there is no message about mobilisation and actively changing things head on. Even where members of youth speak as activists, they are very individualistic.
This article was submitted on 15 April 2024. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
