Young south africans staying at home on election day

"Young south africans to stay home on election day"

"South africa's young have had enough of party politics. High unemployment, social injustice and widespread corruption has driven the confidence of the system in the bottom, and when the country goes to the polls in a week, missing more than half of all under-30 vote."

"since Then much has happened in south Africa, a country where black and white previously held separated according to a racist doctrine that, among other things, forbade blacks from staying in."

"In Wednesday's parliamentary elections will Iram Yousuf to get to a polling station, even if the 23-year-old juridikstudenten have not yet decided which party will get her vote. But just the fact that she will be voting to join the ranks of a minority among the country's young people, where around six million people between 18 and 30 years, according to the AFP news agency has neglected to register as a voter."

"– I see it as important to go and vote, not least in order to keep the parties you dislike away from the house. But we young people may not particularly much attention for the issues we think are important, " she says to TT on the phone from his hometown of Pretoria."

"of Corruption and distrust"

"Not the least of the many corruption scandals that hopades around the former party leader and president, Jacob Zuma, has contributed to the mistrust against the system, believe Liisa Laakso, researcher at the Nordic africa institute."

"– Many have a cynical view of politics. It is serious because it implies a kind of crisis of legitimacy for the entire state, " she says."

"For a little over a year ago took the former vice president and ANC veteran Cyril Ramaphosa over after Zuma. Hopes of the Ramaphosa has been great, and many are wondering if the new president will succeed in boosting growth and creating new jobs, as he promised."

"Not the least youth unemployment has stuck in my mind on troublesome high levels, which has been young south africans to question whether the policies are the right way to go in order to bring about a change."

"– Young people feel abandoned by the political elite. They think that there is no understanding of their conditions, " says Laakso."

"Iram Yousuf is careful to point out that many young south africans have a strong community involvement, which, however, takes other expression than through party politics. As an example she mentions #FeesMustFall 2015 and 2016, a student movement in protest against the rise in tuition fees at South african universities."

"– street protest have become a view the standard way for young people to express themselves. All of you are annoyed at getting to a protest. It can be of poor education or poor access to water, electricity and other public utilities. The protests are seen as faster and more effective than the electoral system, " she says."

"The poor quality of education, which is often the disadvantage of the blacks, is an important political issue. But despite the fact that the parties are discussing how the problems – many of them remnants of the apartheid era – to be solved, the hands not so much, according to Yousuf."

"– It creates a lack of trust not only to the political system, but the whole idea of justice. If the young generation has a constant sense of injustice, how are we able to appreciate democracy?"

"south Africa is the african continent's most industrialized country and the second largest economy (after Nigeria)."

"Between 1948 and 1994, there were rasåtskillnadspolitik – apartheid in south Africa. Apartheid was to separate black and white in a racist regime that, among other things, prohibited blacks from moving freely in the "

"In april 1994 was held the first general elections in which all could participate, regardless of skin color. The african national congress (ANC) with Nelson Mandela in the lead won a landslide victory. Since then, the party, which formed a resistance movement during the apartheid era, won all the parliamentary elections. In 2007, Jacob Zuma over the chairmanship of the ANC after Thabo Mbeki, in turn, Mandela's successor."

"Zuma's time as ANC leader and south african president was marred by corruption scandals. In december 2017 took Cyril Ramaphosa over the leadership, and shortly thereafter even the presidency. Ahead of the parliamentary elections on 8 may, Ramaphosa, among other things, promised new jobs, stronger growth and the reduction of inequalities between black and white."

"the African national congress (ANC)"

"social democratic party, which has governed south Africa since apartheid was abolished in 1994. Has completely dominated the country's politics since then. Led by Cyril Ramaphosa, 2017 took over the chair from the korruptionsanfrätte Jacob Zuma."

"the Democratic alliance (DA)"

"the Liberal party has been the largest opposition party in south Africa since 1999. Have the power in the Western Cape, where Cape town is located. DA is seen by many south africans as a party mainly for white, but then headed in 2015 by Mmusi Maimane, the party's first black chairman."

"the Economic freedom fighters (EFF)"

"Inkathas's freedom party (IFP)"

"Zulunationalistiskt party that through the years has been in the often violent feuds with the ANC. Has gradually weakened in the 2000s."

"Sources: Landguiden and the BBC"