Inconvenient youth? Our democracy must earn its heirs’ confidence

The all-important Election Day of 2019 has come and gone. On Wednesday, millions of South Africans cast their ballot for national and provincial governments. We saw snaking queues and inked thumbs of all shapes and sizes.

The setback that the sixth election suffered, however, is no elephant in the room. South Africans have spoken openly and at length about the huge army of at least 10 million people who were eligible to vote and did not register. Data from the Independent Electoral Commission suggests that these people, and the additional 5 million who registered and likely did not vote, are comprised mostly of young South Africans.

Much has been made of youth as a kingmaker in the election. The youngest voters in these elections were born between 1999 and 2001, meaning they have spent much of their self-aware lives seeing Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema on their TV screens