Local young people are urged to register and take part in the 2024 elections

On February 04 and 05, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) conducted the final phase of voter registration prior to the 2024 general elections.

The weekend was the final chance for first-time voters to register and those who needed to verify their voter status to do so.

ANC campaigner, Thamsanqa Zama urged the youth to register to vote in order to have a say in decisions made by the government.

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“Our youth don’t actively contribute to their nation’s well-being and they lack active citizenship.

“The younger generation finds it difficult to be responsible citizens of the nation, thus we must discover strategies to help them utilize and understand the value of being responsible,” he said.

According to Zama, registering to vote gives one the right to have an opinion on issues that are affecting the country, therefore registering to vote gives individuals an opportunity to determine the future of the country.

Urban News spoke to some of the locals who were at Emdeni Secondary School.

23-year-old Sihle Phakathi said she thinks voting will change a lot of things, particularly with regards to unemployment.

“I have come here today to register because I genuinely want to see some changes. With my vote, I think that unemployment will go down and that things will improve here in our country,” said Phakathi.

ALSO READ: Your personal need should be your WHY to vote

While some residents were enthusiastic about registering to vote, others had no interest in doing so.

19-year-old, Relebohile Xaba told Urban News that she does not think registering to vote is necessary or vital.

“Even if we register to vote, there will still be no change, the political parties we have are promising us a lot of things while knowing very well that they are unable to deliver,” said Xaba.