By: Dale Munatswa

At eight in the evening people were still flocking in to cast their votes at the City campus polling station yesterday.
Majority of the people who came to vote at the Durban University of Technology City Campus polling station were young people. According to Campus Protection security guard, Mavie Muchi, who opened the gates to the polling station at 7am, the youth came in large numbers.

According to statistics released by the Independent Electoral Commission, 350 030 females and 296 396 males in the age group of 18-19 years; 3 097 235 females and 2 659 486 males in the age group of 20-29 years registered to vote nationally in this year’s primary elections.

This is an indication that young people are becoming more and more active in the country’s political activities. At the polling station, some youth were undecided about who they were going to vote for and others were certain of where they were going to put their “X”.

Zine Gwanya (20) was not sure who to vote for because all the parties were promising so much.

“I have not decided who to vote for yet, I will figure it out when I have the ballot paper in my hands,” said Gwanya.

18-year-old Khanyo Zulu said, “I am voting for the ANC because I believe that it will bring a better future for us.”

From early in the morning, people were coming in numbers and casting their votes. The lines were getting longer by the hour and they twined around the campus cafeteria, stretching out to the car park and ending near the main gate.

Many people wore their political party’s t-shirts as they voted. Some were standing in small groups with respect to their politics parties as if it was a last minute campaign strategy or moral support to encourage votes.
The outcome of the elections is now awaited for. However, some youth made their predictions of the election based on their vote and their judgement.

Nontokozo Mthethwa (21) who voted for the first time in this year’s elections said, “I voted for the ANC and it is probably taking it again this year because many people out there are talking about it and they are going to vote for the ANC.”

Whichever political party wins these elections, young people are crying out for more job opportunities and bursaries in the education sector. It is in the best interest of young South Africans that they get these basic services.