Everywhere you turn in and around Hatfield campus these past few weeks, there have been voting registration stands hosted by various political parties and representatives from the Independent Electoral Committee (IEC), specifically at the student centre piazza. There was a noticeable influx of students ready to scan the QR code and submit their ID numbers to check their registration statuses. The process was quick and frictionless, requiring little persuasion. However, statistics on the IEC’s website show that this does not translate to the ballot box. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 29 make up roughly one-third of the voting-age population, but the number of registered individuals within this demographic barely make up a fifth of registered voters. Most students were highly incentivised by the merchandise and sense of accomplishment for completing the process, but that energy is not being consistently transferred to the ballot box. Is this a result of pure ignorance towards our democratic rights, or is this a symptom of a deeper systemic mistrust of institutional processes?
“Voting is an act of confidence and an act of faith,” said lecturer and academic from the Department of Political Science Dr Heather Thuynsma. “Youth non-voting is often driven more by a conscious political boycott of current party options than through administrative friction. Trends tend to show [that] this is because of campus political organisations hosting massive registration drives, but [they] struggle to actively connect local and national party politics to the daily, immediate struggles of the students themselves, such as rolling blackouts and water outages.”
The local elections are set to take place on 4 November. Besides stressing about achieving distinctions or a passing grade, the youth unemployment crisis makes the future for the youth of South Africa despondent rather than hopeful. This drives apathy and systemic mistrust towards local government. Vuyo – a first-year student and first-time voter from Eshowe, Kwa-Zulu Natal – feels no belonging or personal conviction in the local political parties governing the City of Tshwane. They live in a residence far from home and feel that things will not affect them. There is also a sense of a lack of known opportunities to get politically involved. “I only signed up to see what the commotion is all about. I don’t even know who to vote for or if it’s even worth it,” they said. “They don’t care about us. They don’t care about our struggles of paying high deposits at res or NSFAS delaying with payouts. There’s no policy or manifesto that wants to address that.”
Tiaan Dippenaar – representative of the DA and Ward Councilor for Ward 56, which includes Hatfield and its surrounding areas such as Hillcrest and Brooklyn – noted that they are aware that many students come from various parts of the country. The aim of the activation stands is to increase registration for this specific ward to ease the logistical challenges involved in travelling home to cast your vote during exam season. Beyond that, he also urged young people and students to exercise their civic duty and be involved in current and political affairs. “The only reliable voters are the pensioners, which is sad because they get involved in policies that don’t affect them as much as the youth who haven’t faced the harsh reality of life full-on yet,” he commented. Dippenaar continued, “Registering is the first step in a long journey, and we owe it to the future generation to make it as hassle-free as possible.”
While there is truth in that, there is an even longer journey ahead to build confidence in their political representatives among the youth – one that seeks to provide justice and service delivery beyond just a flashy title. The lack of municipal voter outreach and resolutions create high barriers to the creation of a connection between local government and student affairs. This is something that the demographic feels disappointed by, but know that it is used for statistics that reflect progress and success where there is none.
