IMANQIKANQIKA ukuvota intsha ezobe ivota okokuqala okhethweni lukazwelonke kulo nyaka ngenxa yokunganeliseki ngokufakwa kakhulu kwasebekhulile ezinhlakeni zobuholi.
Intsha okukhulunywe nayo ithe ifuna ukubona ushintsho ebuholini bezepolitiki, kufakwe abaholi abazoqonda izidingo zayo. Njengoba ngempelasonto ezayo kulindeleke kubhaliselwe ukuvota okokugcina ngaphambi kokhetho oluzoba ngoMeyi, enye intsha ayikaqinisekisi ukuthi izobhalisa.
UMsawenkosi Dlamini (23), ofunda e-University of KwaZulu-Natal, uthe yayisimvumela iminyaka yokuthi avote okhethweni loHulumeni baseKhaya ngo-2016 kodwa wangavota.
“Ngathola sekuzovotwa ukuthi kwakufanele ngibhalisele ukuvota eThekwini lapho sengihlala khona uma ngifunda. Nokho angizisolanga ngokungavoti ngoba akukho obekungigqugquzela. Namanje akukho okungenza ngilangazelele ukuvota ngoba akekho nosigqugquzelayo emanyuvesi,” echaza.
Uthe uzoya kobhalisela ukuvota ngesonto elizayo kodwa usazibuza ukuthi yiliphi iqembu elifanelwe yivoti lakhe. Ukhala ngokuthi amaqembu akhona awagculisi futhi alikho iqiniso.
“Ngibona sengathi uma ngivota ngizobe ngifaka imali ephaketheni lomuntu. Sishoda ngabaholi abakhathalele abantu ngokweqiniso. Abanye bayathembisa kodwa bangazifezi izidingo zomphakathi. Neqembu elibonakala linentsha eningi lihlushwa wukuthi abaholi balo abavuthiwe ngokomqondo,” kusho uDlamini.
Ukhale nangokuthi akayiboni intsha ebuholini bamaqembu ngisho ePhalamende kugcwele kakhulu abadala okwenza intsha ibone singekho isidingo sokubavotela.
UZanele Khambule (19) waKwaMashu uthe wakubhalisela ngonyaka odlule ukuvota futhi uzimisele ukuvota.
“Ngibona kungifanele ukuvota ngoba ivoti lami lizoletha ushintsho. Ikusasa lezwe lincike evotini lami,” kusho uZanele.
Yize ethe ngeke adalule ukuthi uzovotela liphi iqembu, uthe alikhethile ulibona likhathalele imfundo yabamnyama.
UZama Khumalo (19), oyokwenza unyaka wokuqala eDurban University of Technology, uthe akanawo umfutho wokuvota futhi akakabhalisi. Uthe ubengazi nokuthi kuyabhaliswa ngesonto elizayo.
Uveze ukuthi abazali bakhe abamkhuthaza ukuthi avote ngoba bamtshela ngesimo abaphuma kuso ngezikhathi zobandlululo.
“Kunzima kithina esingazazi lezo zikhathi ngoba esikubona manje yinkohlakalo kuphela. Baningi abantu esibabona besahlupheka nezingane zifunda kanzima kodwa sitshelwa ukuthi sikhululekile. Ngicabanga ukuthi amaqembu ezepolitiki kusamele aqinise ekushintsheni imiqondo yethu ukuthi yiluphi ushintsho esizolubona uma sivota. Kungasiza nokubona intsha inikwa amathuba ebuholini.”
Umbiko wocwaningo lwe-Institute for Security Studies, waveza ukuthi intsha isemanqika ukuvota. Ngo-2014 yayingu-33% intsha eneminyaka ewu-18 no-19 eyavota okhethweni lukazwelonke. Egqugquzela iqembu lakhe ukuthi livote eThekwini, uMntwana wakwaPhindangene, uMangosuthu Buthelezi, ukuphawulile lokhu kungabi nkamunkamu kwentsha ekuvoteni. I-IEC imemezele ukuthi ngoMgqibelo nangeSonto elizayo kuzobhaliselwa ukuvota kuzo zonke izikhungo.