Young people ask........................Why should we vote

With two days before the Local government elections, political parties have been urging young people in South Africa to exercise their rights and vote .This has fallen on deaf ears to students at the Durban University of Technology who are defiant and will not be going to vote.


Sindi Dlamini a second year journalism student and a resident in the Inchanga area said,”There has only been one candidate contesting in my area of which we are being threatened to vote for him of face being beaten. He currently owns 25 taxis and lives in uMhlanga, and people voted for him and all he has done is enrich himself and forgot who got him where he is now ,so where is the justice in that “.

“With things like these happening, I don’t really see the need and I will not be voting. “said Dlamini.
Other students who are in agreement with Dlamini commented that they don’t see a party that represents their needs as young people.
”Political parties make promises all the time which are never kept, for years people in rural areas have been hit by this scandal. They are promised basic needs such as toilets and water which they are entitled to, ending up still waiting

for those needs even after voting for the relevant party . I am young person in this country and I also exercising my right by not voting. I won’t vote out of loyalty just because a certain party gave us freedom is not a valid reason why they should get my vote now “, said Anathi Teyise.

Even with initiative such as the use of social networks that has been used to promote voting to young people they are still dead set on not voting. Political parties have used mediums such as Twitter ,Mxit and Facebook to get the message across. These means have been made to make the youth aware of why they should vote and what their rights are as citizens in a way that is easier for them to understand ,and also easier to build the future . The use of mobile campaigns has been aimed at achieving a balance between the youth rights and their responsibilities in helping to build the future.
Siyabonga Miya a 22 year old student said, ”I simply didn’t find the time to go register also I am not from Durban .I live in a flat and so I won’t vote in the municipal election for somebody who won’t benefit me or my municipality which is not Durban in any way.”

In a study conducted by the IEC (Independent Electoral Commette) in 2000 the turnout for the municipal election was a mere 48% of which only 30% was young people which means that a full 52% of which were potential voters did not go to the polls .

As Mbazima Shilowa once said,”staying away will not be a solution to improving service delivery and increasing jobs”. Young people should be going to vote, how else they will complain if they don’t vote.

Unreportedrape cases on the rise

At the age of 15, Sarah Smith was brutally gang raped by five men in her hometown of Newlands East.
Now a mother at 42 Smith recalls her friend telling her the brother wanted to talk to her,” I went as I didn’t suspect any bad thing might happen to me”, said Smith. Overpowered by the gang Smith was dragged in the bush and raped by all five gang members. “That was my very first sexual experience”, said Johnson.
Rape in South Africa has reached epidemic proportion with 70% of cases being that of women and the National Child Line believes as many as ten times more cases may be unreported. Smith didn’t report the incident instead she kept this secret to herself for many years not knowing it would affect her.
She suffered depression and was hospitalised for two weeks where she was wrongly diagnosed. Prayer and medication is what got her through.” I am stronger now and for the last three years I have been on the correct medication I was also able to confront one of the perpetrators who was a cousin of my husband, this helped me put closure to the situation”, said Smith. She believes she can help others who have had similar experiences.
With two daughters and a son she empowers them by letting them attend karate lessons Smith said,”This is so they’ll know how to protect themselves, and I emphysise to my son that a woman should be treated with respect“.

A reflection on the new media packages

What I learned when doing the package for new media, was that I have a love for writing and would like to take it next year when doing the choices between print and broadcasting. It was a very interesting experience although I could have done better with the second story. 

The importance of partnership was  vital when working as a team ,as much as I wanted  my views heard  I had to understand that Nomvula Sikakane and I  were a team . I needed to respect and hear views too, over all she an interesting person to work with, we did have our differences but we had a story to write and had to put them aside in order to meet deadline and this is which is crucial when working with a partner .What I enjoyed most was taking the photo for our first story as we both woke up early in order to be at the clinic early to be able to take the photo of people waiting outside in ques.

Our second story was quite a difficult one and we wished we could’ve taken a different angle as things like finding a photograph to go with the story was difficult.

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