Every August, campus walls and social media feeds are plastered with the faces of many hopefuls promising a better year for all within their faculty. Beyond the theatrics of using popular TikTok trends and getting the most popular endorsements lie the crucial elements of democracy. A fundamental question emerges: what drives students to vote?
PDBY conducted an Instagram poll where the general student population expressed their views. When asked about manifestos, 52% of respondents admitted that they only skim a few pages as opposed to reading the full manifesto documents, while 18% questioned “What is a manifesto?” When it comes to the medium most preferred by the electorate, 40% rely on official manifestos, followed by 34% reliance on word-of-mouth from their social circles regarding the candidates, and social media viewing only accounting for 26%.
The electorate have previously expressed frustration with candidates spamming academic group chats at awkward hours or during important discussions. Although the tactic might seem useful for reaching the masses at peak hours, it often risks the candidate being labelled as inconsiderate for failure to read the room.
This serves as a stark contrast as Law House Chairperson candidate Treasure Mampane detailed that he spent one hour compiling his manifesto as opposed to two weeks spent on social media campaigning.
While manifestos outline a candidate’s leadership credentials, policy positions, action plans, and values, 54% of the electorate admitted to having voted for a candidate due to personal relationships or direct social favours. This undermines the concept of democracy, causing it to be disguised as a popularity contest and resulting in accountability taking a backseat once they have been elected. Poorly informed or apathetic voting often comes back to haunt voters later in the year, as 65% of respondents said that the elected rarely deliver on their promises.
Mbalenhle Zulu, 2025/26 Law House Treasurer, noted that failure to fulfil 100% of campaign promises is largely due to budget constraints. However, she emphasised that teamwork within the student body proves beneficial in conquering these constraints as the ultimate goal is to serve. Zulu acknowledged that there is an undeniable interaction between student governance depicting a true democratic institution as well as being a social network and résumé builder. However, she warned that purely self-serving intentions risk not enjoying their term in office fully. The aim is not to just campaign for the title, but to do so for the passion of serving the electorate. Mampane echoed similar sentiments in his reason for campaigning, with hopes of making an impact for the betterment of students lasting even beyond his tenure.
The declining belief in democracy in the real-world is evident in low voter turnout among the youth, but it stems from experiences as small as student governance. The demand for substance must be greater than that of aesthetics. Beyond the optics lies great consequences in how student grievances and negotiations with university administration are addressed. Apathy towards campus politics and student governance is a privilege that many discount until faced with the severity of its results.
Visual: Khanyisa Motsepe
