A quick survey via Whatsapp asking people aged below the age of 30 why they would not vote, yielded various reasons including a failure to find jobs after school.

Thandeka Mdakane, a 25-year old woman from Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal, said she was fed up about being unemployed for years.

"I have been looking for a job for 5 years since I came out from college and even now I'm not working because they always want someone with experience, so I think those with experience should vote," Mdakane said.

Twenty-two year old S'nenhlanhla Nkosi from the small town of eDumbe said those in power never kept their promises.

"Their promises are all the same but then they never deliver when in power," she said.

Nkosi felt the current crop of politicians were corrupt and did not measure up to those from the past whose exploits she had heard about, such as the late Chris Hani and Steve Biko.

"(The current) leaders only care for themselves and their families, they don't care about service delivery," she said. "The only time the political parties remember us, is when it is time to vote."

Other young people however felt a strong civic duty to participate in the elections.

Sabelo Sigudu said his vote was important as it would go towards give the ruling African National Congress (ANC) the two-thirds majority it needed to make Constitutional amendments such as that paving the way for land expropriation.

"I believe it adds to the millions of people who still want to see the ANC transforming the lives of ordinary citizens of this country," Sigudu said.

"My vote will save South Africa and the image of the country from becoming next Zimbabwe and the anarchy caused by populists in parliament," added Sigudu, who said he had recently abandoned the National Freedom Party to join the ANC. 

ANA