Think about this: There are nine people on a bus. Three vote to drive over a cliff. Two vote to get ice cream. Four do not bother to vote. Everyone dies.
Like it or not, you and I are on the bus together with everyone else.
Have you ever wondered but are things being done right? Is the current generation giving hope to the youth?
What happens when the older generation is not keen on passing the mantle to young people?
Well, how will you know if you don’t register to vote, and actually vote come November?
Are you a Namibian citizen, 18 years or older? Step up for your rights and register to vote.
Not knowledgeable about politics? Learn, be curious, ask questions, acquaint yourself with what’s happening.
As someone who is part of the majority (the youth), I feel it is time we make our voices heard at the ballot box.
KNOW YOUR CONSTITUENCY
The first step is registering. Acquiring a voter’s card is a cinch.
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) started registering voters on 3 June and the process will continue until 1 August.
Voters’ cards from the last elections/preceding years are now invalid.
To be eligible to vote come November, you must register for a new voter’s card.
Remember to take along the required documents, e.g. your ID card and a municipal bill.
The office where I work is close to town and I headed to the nearest registration point, which happened to be the one at the kindergarten near TransNamib bowling, behind Intercape.
But, guess what? It was not my constituency.
What did this mean for me as a voter? If I had registered there, I would have been eligible to vote for a president but not for my local councillors.
I dislike limitations so I enquired about the nearest registration point for my constituency, Windhoek East.
Registering in the right constituency allows you to have your say on, among others, sanitation services, electricity, water, refuse collection services being provided and the potholes on public roads getting fixed.
Exercising your right to vote for officials in your constituency compels the elected officials to listen to you about the issues that most concern you.
If you’re unhappy with your elected councillor’s performance, you can use your vote to remove that official from office next time.
Your vote is your report card on lawmakers.
OUR ISSUES, OUR VOTE
Voting in local authority elections is as important as voting for a head of state. What happens in your area affects you on a daily basis.
Also, as youth we can contribute diverse views on issues affecting our generation by putting them on the agenda in our constituencies.
It is our right as citizens of a democratic nation to vote. It is also our duty to uphold the principles of democracy.
Every vote counts. Engaging in the process provides us with an opportunity to become active participants in shaping the future of our nation.
Play your part. Step up, register to vote!
- *Josephina Ndeyamo is a corporate communications practitioner, has an honours degree and works for one of the big four audit firms. The views expressed here are her own and not those of her employer.
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