Elections 2024: Lack of voter education a concern, says SARA

The lack of voter education and public awareness campaigns leading up to the national and provincial elections is a concern says the South African Rainbow Alliance (SARA), a group of like-minded political parties, civil society organisations, business and faith-based organisations.

SARA said it was sad to hear that tertiary level students don’t how to register to vote, putting the blame on the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for not meeting such crucial necessity of educating people before they vote.

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‘VOTER EDUCATION LEFT TO POLITICIANS ON CAMPAIGN TRAILS’

SARA president Colleen Makhubele said it should be a criminal offence that so many black females were excluded from the registration process because they do not have data to register online.

“We should all be worried that the IEC has left voter education to be done by politicians on the desperate campaign trail. Perhaps it’s a blessing to have so many registered political parties because these parties have become an opportunistic vehicle for voter awareness and education as they go to different constituencies and communities: Where is the IEC?,” Makhubele said.

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‘IT SHOULD BE A CRIMINAL EXCLUSION OF BLACK FEMALES’

She said young people and some workers mainly in the service industry which contributes 40% of workforce, have been blatantly or deliberately left out of the voter education process, they have no clue about how to register to vote.

“This should be criminal that millions of young and especially black female South Africans are excluded from democratic participation because of long working hours. These hardworking men and women who desperately need a change are not aware of the online registration process nor do they have the data to register using online [means].”

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NO PRIVISION FROM IEC TO ASSIST RETAIL WORKERS

Makhubele said there is no provision from IEC to assist the Retail workers with voter education and registration after their long working hours.

“Having been on a campaign trail since November 2023, it is unbelievably sad to hear tertiary level students express ignorance on how to register to vote. It’s embarrassing that most black women have no interest in voting. Cashiers, waiters and service industry workers who work 15 hour shifts have no clue nor the time to go and queue to register to vote,” she said.

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