#IMadeMyMark 18-year-old believes her vote will make a different in #Elections2019
HOUGHTON – A local youngster urges SA youth to use their vote to make a difference in the upcoming elections.
A youngster from Houghton, believes that casting a vote in the upcoming general elections will make a difference and change the current South African political landscape.
Homeschooled and currently, in matric, Shazia Akoojee said she will be voting because ‘every vote matters’.
She said any citizen with a valid identity smart card or a green bar-coded ID book is eligible to cast a vote, ‘but one needs to be 18 years old or over’.
Born on 28 June 2000, Akoojee said it is important for people to vote and elect their preferred leaders or a political party of their choice and encouraged other young voters to also make their mark. “It is important to have a say in the country and I would like to make a personal appeal to the new voters to vote,” she said.
“I want to make them understand why it is important and explain to them that a person’s vote does make a difference, even if not immediately, but in the long run. South Africa is currently headed to the elections and I think it’s important to keep the people notified of changes in parties and information regarding the elections as it is the next important thing for the country.
“Our country’s democracy is important as it takes into consideration the needs and wants of the people.”
Shazia however does not think that South Africa is a rainbow nation. “This was said by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the early democratic elections but, unfortunately, is now a distant and rapidly disappearing concept for South Africa.
“We cannot pretend that the deeply divisive socio-economic realities do not exist.”
She concluded that she felt the rising unemployment rate affecting ‘most of the black population’, only makes South Africa one of the most unequal societies in the world.
Tell us what do you think about the upcoming 2019 elections by tweeting @NE_Tribune
Related articles:
https://northeasterntribune.co.za/225811/iec-calls-young-voters-register-various-voting-stations/
https://northeasterntribune.co.za/229913/elections-2019-iec-mma-launch-digital-disinformation-complaints-platform/
