Who cares? Politics, elections and SA's young generation

Who cares? Politics, elections and SA’s young generation

First and foremost, all of us who have an affinity and even the most minimalistic sense of pride in being citizens of this potentially great country should care even about the most basic happenings in it. The fact that one was born in this country makes them susceptible to the anger, sadness or at least concern that creeps up whenever anyone speaks ill of it.

Image sourced: www.veooz.com>

The fact that one engages in debates ,arguments or merely complains either to others or oneself, demonstrates only one thing, and that is every single one of  us cares about where we come from, are currently at and especially, where we are going.

 A prime example is when I was covering the UJ SRC elections for the student newspaper, I randomly stopped a student and asked her who she wished could win the elections, she retorted that student politics was not an area of her concern, and that she was there to study, and obtain her degree, when I preceded to ask what she would do if one day she came to campus and found that lectures had been dismissed and no notices had been put up to give reason and the duration. She replied ‘I would probably go to the SRC offices and enquire’. And just like that, the fact that she even knew where to find the SRC offices and that she knew that it was a place at which she could maybe find the answers to her questions, demonstrated that she indeed cared.

<Image sourced: www.thesouthafrican.com>

South African politics is so eventful that one cannot help but be political, even if it is subliminal. The 2009 voter turnout only decreased by 7% when compared to that of 1994. This is testament of the fact that politics permeates the daily thoughts of every day South Africans more than they even care to admit.

In a country with a youth unemployment percentage of 48.2 according to the World Bank economic indicators, there is a pressing need to appeal to a youth that is self-destructive and behaves as if it is owed a great deal of gratitude for just existing.

<Image sourced: health -e.org.za>

The run up to the 2014 general elections will demonstrate innovation and tact on the part of the party that will be able to attract a youth which does not demonstrate unity, fervour and decisiveness that was apparent in the youth of 1976. Just as Vavi was fond of saying “you never win at the negotiating table what you’ve never won on the street”. This simply points to the fact the far from having expectations, South Africans, the youth especially should realise that the way things will eventually turn out in this country is directly attributable to them.

The condemnation of our education has been loud from all quarters of society; this however, has lent credence to the necessity to wait for things to change instead of effecting change, on the part of the South Africa’s young generation.

Political analyst, Prof, Steven Freidman argues that ‘…the bulk of people share their values with the previous generation,". The fact is that although all of us are concerned about the present state of the country, it can only worsen if piling up an arsenal of excuses to explain why they aren't succeeding is the only thing that the youth is proficient in doing.