IN CONVERSATION WITH RETHABILE HLAKANE, SALGA YOUTH COMMISSION GAUTENG PROVINCIAL CHAIRPERSON
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South Africa’s declining youth participation in elections is often discussed in
terms of voter apathy, but beneath the surface lies a deeper issue: political
disconnection. For many young people, especially those between 18 and 34,
the problem is not simply whether to vote — it is whether politics feels
relevant to their daily lives at all.
Local government elections are designed to bring democracy closest to the
people, focusing on service delivery, housing, jobs, sanitation, and
community development. Yet many young citizens describe a persistent gap
between political promises and lived reality. In communities facing
unemployment, inconsistent services, and limited economic opportunities,
trust in formal political systems continues to erode.
This growing disengagement is also shaped by how young people consume
information. Social media has become a primary source of political
awareness, but it often amplifies frustration, satire, and criticism more than
structured civic education. As a result, political identity is increasingly shaped
outside traditional institutions like political parties, civic forums, or ward
structures.
At the same time, youth participation cannot be reduced to absence alone.
Many young people are actively engaged in advocacy, community organising,
digital activism, and informal support networks — just not always through
voting or formal political systems.
The key question emerging ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections is
whether the problem is youth apathy, or whether political systems have failed
to evolve in ways that meaningfully include and respond to a new generation.
This conversation explores whether politics is losing relevance among young
people — and what it would take to rebuild that connection.
terms of voter apathy, but beneath the surface lies a deeper issue: political
disconnection. For many young people, especially those between 18 and 34,
the problem is not simply whether to vote — it is whether politics feels
relevant to their daily lives at all.
Local government elections are designed to bring democracy closest to the
people, focusing on service delivery, housing, jobs, sanitation, and
community development. Yet many young citizens describe a persistent gap
between political promises and lived reality. In communities facing
unemployment, inconsistent services, and limited economic opportunities,
trust in formal political systems continues to erode.
This growing disengagement is also shaped by how young people consume
information. Social media has become a primary source of political
awareness, but it often amplifies frustration, satire, and criticism more than
structured civic education. As a result, political identity is increasingly shaped
outside traditional institutions like political parties, civic forums, or ward
structures.
At the same time, youth participation cannot be reduced to absence alone.
Many young people are actively engaged in advocacy, community organising,
digital activism, and informal support networks — just not always through
voting or formal political systems.
The key question emerging ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections is
whether the problem is youth apathy, or whether political systems have failed
to evolve in ways that meaningfully include and respond to a new generation.
This conversation explores whether politics is losing relevance among young
people — and what it would take to rebuild that connection.
