Government is calling on South Africans to exercise their right to vote in the National and Provincial Elections on Wednesday, 29 May 2024. This year, millions of South Africans will once again have the opportunity to cast their votes in the seventh democratic elections, which mark 30 years after the first democratic elections in 1994.
In a recent interview with SAnews, the Acting Director-General (ADG) of the Government Communication and Information System, Nomonde Mnukwa, encouraged all eligible South Africans to cast their votes in the upcoming general elections.
“Citizens must vote not only in the upcoming general elections but also in all future elections. It is a right that South Africa achieved under extremely difficult and trying circumstances,” she said.
Section 19(3) of the Bill of Rights, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996, states that “every adult citizen has the right to vote in elections for any legislative body established in terms of the Constitution and do so in secret”.
This year, South Africa also commemorates the 28th anniversary of the enactment of the Constitution as the supreme law of the country.
Mnukwa pointed out that “the rights of South Africans are protected under the constitutional democracy which promotes inclusivity, equality, non-racialism, non-sexism, national unity, social cohesion, justice and diversity.”
“The majority of South Africans were denied the right to vote during the apartheid era. Many people fought for our freedom and democracy. Some people died while others were imprisoned,” the ADG stated.
“As South Africans, we must not take our democracy for granted because it did not come naturally. It came from the shedding of blood and tears.”
Youth and democracy
According to her, the majority of young people who were born after democracy did not experience the hardships of apartheid, and she believes it is important that they understand what democracy is all about.
“If the youth take their generation’s role as future leaders seriously, they must vote in large numbers. Youth, as future leaders, must vote to preserve and strengthen our democracy.”
The ADG said when people vote in large numbers, the country’s democracy grows because citizens decide who should be in power. “As voters we also have the power to determine who should represent us. Elections are part of the formal democratic processes that allow citizens’ voices to be heard,” she said.
She expressed concern that if a considerable number of people do not vote in large numbers during the elections, democracy in this country may collapse.
“Democracy is one thing that keeps South Africa together. We want to strengthen it as much as possible so that we can build a better country and a prosperous future,” Mnukwa said.
Voters’ roll
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reported that over 27.79 million voters are eligible to cast their votes in the upcoming general elections, the highest number since the dawn of democracy in South Africa.
“Since the voters’ roll was compiled for the first time ahead of the 1999 National and Provincial Elections, it has shown steady growth of over 35% and contains the highest number of registered voters, recording an increase of 9.6 million voters since the 1999 general elections,” the IEC said in a statement.
It stated that the highlight of the certified voters’ roll is the increase in the rate of representation by persons aged 18 to 39, who account for 42% or 11.7 million voters on the voters’ roll.
The long-standing trend of there being more females on the voters’ roll continues. Of the 27.79 million voters, 15 million are females.
“The introduction of the online self-service voter registration modality has contributed to the increased rate of registration by younger voters in the country as well as by citizens who are resident outside of the Republic,” the IEC stated. – SAnews.gov.za
