FIRST-TIME voters came in numbers to register to vote for 2024 general elections at King Shaka High School in Umlazi, south of Durban on Saturday, 18 November.
And leaders of political were all over KZN to persuade voters to vote for them during next year's polls.
IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa was at King Shaka High School, EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu was also in Durban campaigning, while ANC national chairman Gwede Mantashe was in Inanda, north of Durban.
First-time voter Azotha Wanda (18) from Umlazi told Daily Sun that he is excited that he'll vote and bring change with his vote.
"The reason I came here to register to vote for next year's election is because I want change. With my vote I want to change South Africa so that as young people we should have job opportunities, because we have financial needs.
"As Youth of South Africa, we don’t have jobs, we don’t have something that we can do as youth. To my peers I want to tell them that they must think of the future and shouldn't think about the past because they can change the future," said Azotha.
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Another first-time voter, Mbuso Ncayiyana (19), told Daily Sun that he wants to see changes with his vote.
"I need change, I don’t see changes now, I know I’m growing up and I just turned 19 years old, so I need to see changes. I have been watching politics for a while, but I didn’t see any forwardness. need to see changes through employment, youth sharpening skills. I hope the new government will bring changes," Mbuso said.
Hlabisa said that it was encouraging that the youth came in numbers to register.
"The main message that I want to send to the people who have said we have lost hope because of we are unemployed, there is crime, there's load shedding, and there's corruption. My message to them is if you don’t do anything, the government that is not doing anything for you will remain in power not doing anything for you," he said.
