Young voters steal the spotlight during Ramaphosa’s eMalahleni visit
The future of South Africa’s democracy showed up in eMalahleni.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the strong turnout of young people at voter registration stations in eMalahleni has dispelled the notion that South Africa’s youth are disengaged from politics.
Ramaphosa described the response from first-time voters ahead of the upcoming local government elections as exceeding his expectations. After visiting registration stations on August 2, Ramaphosa said he was encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by young South Africans eager to register and participate in the country’s democratic process.
“We saw young people coming out in droves to register. They were excited and eager to become first-time voters,” he said. “I was pleased to register one or two of them myself. That made the experience even more exciting for them.”
Read more here:President Cryril Ramaphosa will be visiting in eMalahleni next week
Youth committed to democratic process
Ramaphosa said the turnout demonstrated that young South Africans are committed to shaping the country’s future: “The myth that young people don’t want to register is simply not true. They want to participate in the civic affairs of their country. They want to be part of the transformation of South Africa, and they also want to lead it.”
The president said the enthusiasm of young voters gave him confidence in the future of South Africa’s democracy.
“It shows they have confidence in the future. It also shows that when our generation steps aside, there will be young people ready to take the country forward.”
According to Ramaphosa, the November 4 elections will offer voters more political choices than ever before.
“More parties mean more choice for voters. This is the democracy our people wanted.”
He struck an optimistic note on the country’s economic outlook, saying the economy has shown signs of recovery and that employment opportunities are improving.
“The economy is beginning to pick up. More jobs are being created, and we are moving forward,” the president said. “These elections will allow millions of South Africans to decide who will lead their municipalities for the next five years.”
Progress on service delivery and infrastructure
Addressing concerns over poor service delivery, Ramaphosa urged South Africans not to lose faith, saying the government was making measurable progress in addressing long-standing challenges.
“I would say to a person who has been discouraged in the past because of failures in service delivery that they should look at the new developments,” he said.
He highlighted major investments in water infrastructure, saying projects were under way across the country to improve access to reliable water supplies.
“Major water projects are now under way in various parts of the country. Water is beginning to be delivered even in villages, and in urban areas we are solving the problems of reservoirs and water reticulation.”
Ramaphosa added that the government is also making progress in stabilising electricity supply while intensifying efforts to tackle illegal mining and corruption.
“Corruption is now being addressed, and corrupt police officers are being dealt with. All in all, things are beginning to move forward,” he said.
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