5 Reasons Why it is Essential for Young People to Vote
by @Leigh_Sphinx Most of the youth of today do not see the importance of voting. Many use the excuse that “the politics in South Africa are a mess so why vote?” Or “my one vote will not make a difference”, or the popular, “I don’t know who vote for, they are all corrupt”. The question here then becomes, how are all these reasons going to work to effect the change we all desperately want to see? History has proven the power of one vote. Hendrik Vervoed had one vote, Eugene Terrblanche had one vote, and D F Malan had one vote. Solomon Plaatjie had no vote, Steve Bantu Biko had no vote, and Chris Hani had no vote, a clear indication that those who had the liberty to vote remained in power. As a result, white males dominated parliament and women both African and White had no representatives, nor did African males and this is because of one fundamental reason… they did not have the Right to vote. Substantially, when voting was opened to every citizen in 1994, there was change. Demonstrating the power of ONE vote. So here are the 5 reasons you should vote: 5. Voting is free 4. You cannot run away from politics. There are politics everywhere you go, on campus, in the workplace and even in church. Stop saying you don’t want to get involved with politics. You are only kidding yourself. 3. Our democracy depends on it. Imagine how chaotic our country would be under dictatorship. A coup d’état would be on our door step. 2. The youth need a voice in governance. Who can better voice the issues that affect the youth than the youth itself? It is time to fight our own battles. 1. It is your Constitutional Right. Use it. Familiarize yourself with the contesting parties by reading their manifestos in order to weigh in and check which political party shares the worldview you subscribe to. For the municipal elections voting goes as follows: There will be two ballots, one to choose a candidate for mayor (the political party), and the other for ward councillor. A third ballot will be present to vote for a political party in that district, if you fall under a district. Therefore to make an informed decision, read up on the different candidates, ask people around your area and encourage social media discussions which are guaranteed to shed more light.