Young people urged to participate in local government elections

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says the participation of the young people in the November’s local government elections will make a difference in the country’s democracy.

This is according to IEC General Manager, Moagisi Sibanda.

He was speaking at the opening of the Youth Parliament held in Gauteng, Johannesburg.

Sibanda says non-participation of the youth in the elections will result in their voices not being heard when it comes to the affairs of the country.

“As South Africa prepares for the next local government elections, the participation of young people has never been more important. Local government is where many of the issues that matter most to you as young people, to myself as Moagisi, are experienced every single day. And this is the connection that I wish for all young people and all voters to remember and to realise. We do recognise that people do exercise a choice to participate or not to participate. But I, for one, have never seen anything change for the better when nobody did nothing. When young people participate, it makes a difference.”

VIDEO | There have been concerns raised about declining youth participation in the elections: