Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
21 August 2023 | 15:07 CAT

Image: BusinessLIVE

With next year’s elections looming, an NPO named Rainbow Leaders has encouraged youth to participate in democracy, register to vote and hold elected leaders accountable. Its founder, Keith Boyd, is currently on a mission to journey across the African continent on foot for democracy in what the organisation calls the Cape to Cairo expedition.

Youth participation is one of the main concerns for next year’s elections, and statistics say it’s over thousands of eligible voters significantly need to be using that right.

Speaking to Radio Islam International on his conversations with the youth, Keith Boyd said the youth have not been showing up to the polls because they feel there are no good choices to be had.

“We don’t hear any large pockets of support for any political grouping,” Boyd says.

Rainbow Leaders is an independent NGO that aims to educate South Africa’s youth about their vital role in democracy. “We have a problem in SA – unemployment, poverty, inequality. These are money problems leading to socio-economic issues. The only way to solve this is through finances – we have to grow the economy to fix this,” Boyd explains. He believes empowering youth to vote is a powerful catalyst for change and growth.

With a target of raising R50 million, the Rainbow Leaders initiative aspires to increase democratic participation among young people, especially targeting the 30% voter turnout among the population. Boyd believes that a surge in voter participation to 40-50% among the youth could signal a transformative shift in South Africa’s socio-political landscape.

“We see our role as motivating youth to vote, if the youth are motivated, they will get it done,” Boyd said.

RainbowLeaders visits schools, as Boyd will do during his expedition, to talk to 16 to 19-year-olds about the importance of choosing wise and honest leaders.

“However, we will never support nor criticise any political party, as we must remain a-political in order to maintain credibility,” he explains.

Listen to the full interview with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie on Your World Today.