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Looking back, thinking about the youth of 1976, it becomes apparent that we are one lucky generation.

Yes, we may have a number of social problems, which range from unemployment, crime, drug abuse, HIV and AIDS and so on. However, we have much more peaceful yet powerful means of addressing our problems. 1994 demonstrated to us the power we have as a nation.

It was the year when millions of South Africans stood up and went to the polls to make their voices heard. They did not shout or fight to be heard, they used a very small yet powerful tool of mass construction, the pen. It was in that year that we discovered the power of X, which brought us where we are today.

The same thing happened in 1999, 2004, 2009, respectively. 2014 is around the corner, we know our struggles, we know what we want. It is up to us now to stand up and fight to be heard and recognized as the youth.

What young people do not understand is that their struggles or victories depend largely on their decision to or not to vote.

I have heard young people say they are not voting because “kuyafana nje”. No akufani, and it will never be the same, and many times the people who say this, are the ones who never voted at all.

Last week I tried out the electoral commission’s SMS service where all you do is send your ID number. What a convenience, within a minute, an SMS containing my voter registration details beeped on my phone, and now I know that I am registered, but my voting station still reflects the province where I last voted.

I am sure that since their national office has launched, they will soon be launching in our province. In the meantime, you can SMS your ID number to 32810, this SMS will cost you R1.

I sincerely plead with all young people to go out in numbers and register to vote, because the more young people vote, the more parties will remember that the strength and spirit of 1976 still exists. As young people, we still have that power to bring change in this country.

One thing I can tell you, is that the youth makes up the majority of our population, and trust me on this, all political parties understand that in the youth, lies power and change. So the more young people vote, the more political parties will lift up their socks and work hard to provide youth with specific services that will appeal to the youth even beyond elections.

I advise all young people to not only vote for parties and then go home and sit and wait for change, because if you give people power and not mandate them on how the power should be exercised, you will find yourself in a compromised situation which you can only change after five years.

It is nice to say to people: “I have voted for you, please make sure I have shelter and a decent job”, then it makes sense.

Hlengiwe is :A Radio entertainment reporter, Magazine features writer, Public Speaker, Corporate MC, Columnist, Mentor…