Voter Education is not only important, it is necessary

As South Africa fast approaches the 2021 local elections, AwakeMzansi has undertaken an important task – election and voter education. As we head towards one of the most important elections in recent years, voter education in South Africa is not only imperative, it is necessary.

South Africa is a country filled with so much promise. It is a nation of resilient people who more than anything, want to see the country moving forward and working. However, one of the problems we face is the lack of efficient voter education and information programmes, that will not only encourage election participation, but also arm the public with important facts and knowledge, that will in turn allow them to make a powerful and informed voting decision.

AwakeMzansi realised the inefficiency of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in this regard and due to the increasing need for voter education in the country, we took it upon ourselves to create and introduce a weekly voter education and election series on our social media pages, that will run and build up to the local elections and national elections thereafter. Other related projects are still in the works and will be introduced in due course.

Over the past elections, particularly the local municipal elections, voter turnout has decreased. Young voters especially, are either uninterested or question the need and importance of their vote, and ultimately, they in turn decide to stay away from the ballot. This is an issue that needs to be addressed, and this can be done by providing these sceptical, apathetic voters with the necessary information and knowledge, while also encouraging them to not only share their frustrations on social media, but by also actively participating in making informed decisions and choosing leaders that will put the betterment of the country above that of his/her party.

The purpose of this series is to provide citizens with important information on how the election system works, how the government is structured and how it works, how the different elections work, highlighting the parties running and providing related information and awareness.

We are passionate about providing a fact-checked, reliable news and opinions platform and through this election and voter education series, we hope to encourage South Africans to be active citizens, who not only participate in elections, but also make informed decisions. The future of our country depends on it!