Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
06 February 2024 | 22:26 SAST
1-min read

Reports indicate that more than a million new South Africans registered to vote for the 2024 national elections during the final voter registration weekend.

Despite millions of names being added to the registration list, political analyst Sandile Swana expressed concerns about voter apathy, noting that there remains a significant portion of the population, particularly young voters, who have yet to register.

He highlighted the legitimacy questions raised by low voter turnout in the 2019 elections and suggested that both the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress (ANC) have contributed to diminishing voter participation.

Concerns about disinformation and fake news have surfaced as South Africa prepares for the general elections later this year.

Nomshado Lubisi-Nkosinkulu, communications manager at Media Monitoring Africa, discussed the proliferation of misinformation in a recent interview.

“[There] is a huge issue of the lack of digital and media literacy. So people can’t really identify credible information [from] false narratives that were created to cause harm, which is a big danger, particularly around these elections with the changes around the Electoral Act and also with the introduction of new elements such as the independent candidates,” Lubisi-Nkosinkulu warned.

The prevalence of misinformation, particularly on social media platforms, poses challenges to South Africans. Lubisi-Nkosinkulu urged citizens to critically evaluate information before sharing it and underscored the importance of verifying sources across multiple platforms.

The interview also covered recent controversies involving remarks made by politicians, including Jacob Zuma, John Steenhuisen, and President Ramaphosa. Swana categorised these remarks into levels of political exaggeration and more serious forms of misinformation, drawing parallels to tactics observed in previous elections, such as those in the United States.

Lubisi-Nkosinkulu highlighted the responsibility of political parties in mitigating the spread of misinformation and urged voters to be discerning in their consumption and sharing of information, particularly during the vulnerable pre-election period.

Looking ahead, Sandile speculated on the timing of the election announcement, suggesting it could come before the end of February, with a possibility of the President announcing it at the state of the nation address.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.