Q & A
After 27 years into democracy, the South African young people have lost hope in the local government. IEC (2016) reported that they had recorded 506 551 voters between the ages of 18 & 19, which was the lowest number if compared with the other age groupings.
I asked uNhlanhla Mkhize,
a first-time voter from uMlazi section A, about the upcoming local elections,
scheduled to be on Wednesday, 27 October 2021. Here are the highlights of our
conversation.
Are you
going to vote in this upcoming election? If not, explain why?
No, because
I don’t trust the ANC. Look at how corrupt that party is, and I do not trust
the opposition either. I do not trust the DA. I do not think they can do
anything different. Regarding the EFF, well ... I also do not trust them. If I
listen to what they say and behave in parliament, I don’t think they can solve
anything.
As a
young person, what change would you like to see in your community?
I would like
to see less crime and more job opportunities. I want to see awareness about
things that really matters, like Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Climate Change, Mental
Health (depression), and so on. As we are under Covid-19, people are suffering
from it in many ways. I would like to see more service delivery in my
community.
How do
you think we can achieve that change?
We must hold
our leaders accountable. We need active law enforcement. If I report a matter
to the police, justice must prevail. We must stop treating gang robbery as a
petty crime because it a serious crime. Let take this scenario, if the uMlazi
gang rob my father, that means my whole family will go to bed without food. I
will school go to school without shoes. So, that is an impact of petty
crime.
As we
enter the 3rd wave of Covid-19, do you think people would be confident to go
out and stand in the voting queues?
I do not
think people would be confident enough to go and vote. We have lost so many
relatives already.
Last
Question: Have you read the manifestos of your local candidates? Do you know
what there are planning to do if you put them in power? If not, how would you
like them to address you as they cannot campaign door-to-door because of
Covid-19?
No, I have
not read their manifestos because they are not easily accessible. They do not
have a website. If you did not go to the meeting, you would never hear what
they are planning to do. Regarding the campaigns, they can use the radio
because most 'elderly people' listen to it. To address young people, I think
they should be active on social media.
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