Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
22 March 2024 | 13:30 CAT
2 min read

As the May elections draw near in South Africa, political tensions among parties are on the rise as they vie for the electorate’s votes. While much attention is placed on individual voting decisions, former politician and community organiser Mbali Ntuli asserts that voting is not merely a personal action but a collective endeavour crucial for the preservation of democracy.

Mbali Ntuli underscores the significance of every election, viewing each as a crucial milestone in the maturation of democracy. She emphasises the importance of this year’s election, attributing its significance to the 30-year mark since liberation, which serves as a benchmark for assessing whether countries have progressed toward greater democracy or regressed.

“As South Africans, we have left a lot of the active parts of citizenship to political parties. We currently complain, yet what do we do as citizens? Do we participate and go out to ward councils and do more than just complain? We don’t,” she said.

Ntuli, who is also the founder of Ground Work Collective (GWC), highlighted that GWC has been in operation for a few years, focusing on citizens’ holistic involvement.

She expressed a commitment to empowering people and fostering a cultural shift.

“We teach people how to work independently so they don’t have to rely solely on grants and we provide opportunities for the youth. We have also been educating people on how the government works and what will happen with the elections. We have created a free and easily accessible curriculum for young people to help them understand legislation and what they can do if they want to change something. So, people will know what they can practically do if politicians are not doing what they are supposed to do,” she said.

Ntuli announced a call for election observers, urging all South Africans to volunteer their time to participate in the observation process. She emphasized that training would be provided to ensure that volunteers are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to observe the elections effectively.

She believes civic education is crucial and that young people must understand the importance of voting and the roles of representatives, even if they’ve never encountered them.

“A lot of the work we do is reverse engineering the process by starting by asking them what they need and what are they prepared to do to get there,” she said.

Ntuli aims to kickstart efforts to maintain the vitality of democracy through active civic participation and organisation.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and Mbali Ntuli, here.