A couple of weeks ago, we were afforded the opportunity to register to vote in the general elections next year. Quite frankly, I couldn’t wait to register! The thought of finally being able to feel like an actual part of a democracy had my heart thumping with excitement.

The booths were set up at various points around campus for one week. This meant that it was convenient to us; we wouldn’t have to venture into the centre of town to a dodgy designated location where we would have to queue for hours on end, up close and personal with the other Grahamstown locals like sardines in a tin. It wouldn’t be necessary for us to wake up at the crack of dawn everyday to return to the queue of horror because we hadn’t reached the front by closing time the day before. All we had to do was drag ourselves to lectures and there, literally five steps away from where we were headed anyway, was a handy little registration booth. The only complication in the whole saga was to remember to bring an ID book. But seriously, a chimpanzee could do that. So imagine my surprise when I arrived, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, at the registration booth in the library quad to find that I was the only person there except for an old man and his dog. I sat around in the quad for a while and walked through it at least four times every day for the rest of that week. The registration booth never had more than three people milling around absent-mindedly.

I don’t know about everybody else, but I have a serious problem with this. Surely one should expect a better turn out than this? The reason cannot be laziness because honestly, the booths were closer than the Rat. And I doubt that people are being threatened by tyrannical political party leaders who promise to disembowel them should they vote for rivals. I understand that the ANC is in a state of political turmoil and that tensions are high amongst different supporters across the country, but in my opinion this serves as a motivation. Who wouldn’t want to take part in deciding the potential outcome of the fighting amongst parties?

All that the youth is concerned about these days is going out, drinking and hooking up with people. Has everyone forgotten about the fact that the reason we can all vote freely and fairly without fear or discrimination is the result of a long-lasting struggle. People risked their families and their lives so that this country could achieve this state of democracy and that the youth could have the opportunity to vote that millions before us did not. Yet we cannot even make the effort to walk down campus and get ourselves registered. Is that the kind of thanks that the heroes of apartheid deserve? We are constantly complaining about the government and its actions, or rather, its lack thereof. As civilians, we do not have a chance to give speeches in parliament, set aside budgets for housing projects, or lower the crime rate. The only way that we can ever possibly make a difference is if we vote. Of course, many of my friends who didn’t register argued that their votes wouldn’t make a difference anyway, that their preferred parties will never win.

Listen to me everyone!

Alone, we are one dim voice flickering in the dark, but together, we are a choir with the power to make people listen and change the future of South Africa. So stop being indifferent to your political power, take a stand and make a difference.