the young people clearly have the solution. the future is 77 percent every weekend on dw, the hello and welcome to the 77 percent. so this week we are in johannesburg, south africa as a country, read his itself to a new story collection to you as of the top i tied. my name is edith kimani. welcome to the show. know 30 years ago in 1994 south africa, drunk from all backgrounds and races, cast their votes in the 1st free and democratic elections. this must be end of the oppressive apostolic regime and it brought so that because 1st of all, practically elected president nelson mandela into college. so today we're here to

find out such as late to how have the political space in south africa changed we use we took a look back at those african history and what led up to today last week debates we find out what young people think of flock to politics and will take you on a v i p to arouse the west. but 1st we wanted to look back at what those 1st elections in 1994 really meant to people. and we'll do this. we have a very personal account, but also as african correspondence, diane hawkins. i still remember the date clearly, even though i was only 10 years old. was this feeling of excitement and joy in the country? what i remember most communities, my grandmother, ruth elizabeth, to 75 years old. and it was the 1st time that she was allowed to vote. she went to the town hall with my aunt. and i remember her telling me that she was nervous and

excited. she had put aside so she needed some help, mocking her brothers paper. but she did it any way. she had lived most of her life and parties. so this day was something special, something historical, even under partridge. she and everyone else wasn't white. with not allowed to vote, but this wasn't the only right that my grandmother didn't have. for example, she wasn't allowed to buy a home in certain areas. her family was forcibly moved to the child sky homeland, which was an area designated for black people only. and my grandmother couldn't go to white's only schools or university, and she was not allowed to get sick and jobs. in 1994 south africa took a new direction off the long side for the operation. oil side africans were given equal right. on the 27th of april, we watched news reports of voting across the country and for long snaking twos of

people waiting for hours to exercise the democratic rights. i went and everyone seemed excited, being happy on that day. but i also remember that there was some, yes about political violence that was happening at the time, and threats from some organizations that didn't want to see change. my grandmother passed away in 2017 and in her life time, she experienced 2 decades of democracy. it made a difference in her life apart from being able to vote, she was also able to get a pension from the government. and she was able to move to an area which she would never have in allowed to live in under parts. it now is an effort to marks the 2 years of democracy. have to wonder what her life would have been like if she had been free. well then, thank you so much for that support. now you might be wondering how south africa went from the country that it was in $94.00 to the country that we know each as today. we've had this overview which might help explain that. and in south africa,

we might have stopped you on the street to ask what you mean issues and good selection of. and that's exactly what you're about to watch. south africa. and so going to the piece and out of $10.00 to $7.00 meetings, registered voters, 42 percent under the age of $39.00. so our young people going to vote have are you? yes, very hard for me to still make a choice in terms of you know who i'm voting for. i'm not interested. i'm not so shame, mitchell, mitchell, but i feel like it is my, i was was really to like to read to that they, they can be changeable in the south african economy, but i will see, i know the vote does have a value. i one line terms of the teams and eccentric picture in terms of, you know, the democracy around it. but you know,

obviously you want that change. you want them feel like you both did something. somebody's estimated that less than half of south africa's duties will cost double . but who to vote for a while there is that wide range of political policies, these uh, some of the top contenders. the n c with incumbent president, serial room of who is the office held. the main position that will classic alliance with john dean hayes and what's a strong in the west in tape? the economic feed on fight s e f. f with fire brand juice, my lima, and what's up on a list call in the possible can make up ex president jacobs who month. and his, i'm going to with these, we have patsy. but wait luma, who was out of that form of government in a vote of no confidence due to his involvement scheme. that corruption scandal is not actually on the bylaws as a candidate. his party, however, has type some support in his home programs of positive natasha. while these

election is marked as he is full of democracy, certification is perfectly strong unless not congress or a n. c is more and bustled that never the reasons in recent years, south of custody, the ship was implicated in several coffins candles. most notably the influence of private business people on the government or what is known as this cup top. and a corruption scandal involving the states run electricity provide up leaving south africans in the docs to top it all. south africa has one of the world's highest unemployment rates at 32 percent. the gap between the rich and pool remains high. and while some of the demands that students called for box in 2015 were met, many units asked is struggling to get access to the education. but beyond policy politics, we wanted to hear what issues you think are important. and the, since i'm a student is facing any challenges, yay,

physically in this sense here is doing as fit. so i feel like government could do something regarding the in his 1st issue. yeah. i'd say on employment, but like that has been an issue for a while and i don't think the change can just easily happen over just and it makes it. and then let's see that from party wednesday. i think they over, they need 5 to 10 years to have that unemployment rate, you know, decrease iris. you've got to maintain like key industries and everything. yeah. so better that you opened, for most i'm system on the phone most 15 minutes. also give a play house health case such as hospitals tend to patients as well. and then also um i tend to people's needs cuz i don't think we're really heard of the. what's important to me is a basic education and the improvement of rural areas and they inforcement of participation in improving the future off because oh,

and use engage meant is you choosing the future of the country. so we've had from a number of young voters there, but of course we have a lot more prepared for you, including from last week debate we went to, to west to which is the heartland of use for existence, home to nelson mandela. and so many other anti apartheid leaders, and we asked young south africans whether they be leaving the political leadership of this country, the hello, and welcome back to the 70 to 70 percent street debate. my name is edith kimani, and this week we a back in the gorgeous city of the highest, but in south africa. now this country goes to the pool of the end of me for the 1st time ever in the country across the street. and just over 350 registered political part to the people, surely how long it is to choose from. but today we're asking those political parties are present to the issues of the youth who brought to us

a discussion for me that some fellow south african, i don't wanna start with someone who's just 19 to just give me a picture of what south africa is at the moment the issues, the president, issues for the youth right now, what are they? let's see. so that's it as a country that is on fire. people in our country right now, a suffering because of high rates of unemployment, gender based violence, criminality and crime is ada rates that is unprecedented in democratic set africa for young people. people who are going to have to build our lives in the next 51015 years right now someone my age 19 for us it's pertinent that we begin addressing these issues because they're the ones that are going to impact the type of lifestyle. my family will have when i pick and having a family so so, so if we could just celebrate to the, to you as of democracy, do you feel like those promises that were made and 94 have all sort of gone down the dream. some of materialize, but the ones that were most important to people like equity, justice, economic justice, those have not been materialized in our society. go just a few kilometers away from here to alexander the ascension. you know,

you see the disparity, the one in has high rises, has manicured loans. people that don't worry about what they're going to each tomorrow morning. on the other end, you have people what try to decide whether or not they'll be able to pay their rent or pay for transport to get to work or where they'll be able to feed themselves and the children. yeah, and just to get this box drop that you're going to the pools, as i mentioned, for the 5th time. so wellington, you were present the youth league of the and see the pots about to bring up the home for the last 30 years. when you hear somebody like what seem to speaking like this, do you think your policy has done enough in those years? oh, but it has done what includes all the time. and everything doesn't seem as what it is you cause all those miniature lords and all those big buildings picks up. it's within sensing. and, and alexandra did the clenches between the 2, the people that are from alexander to get work from they, they use some sort of immigration to get to future, send me these, the. but what you can say is that, that it might be as low as how the, our a,

our reading party has been doing things. but then it's nothing to say. there's nothing being done. i'll come back to you on what exactly you've been doing, but somebody who might have a different view is phase of one of the new partners. in fact, the brand new horizons on see, do you believe what berlington is saying that we all one of the most an equal countries in the world? the people are most effective to use a woman and are black. and it's just, it's use of male administration. and corruption within the political parties, and it's the reason why rising is on. so you have started started by a group of south africans who haven't found a political home, the tutti represent, so interest and aspirations of, of this country. okay. so let me speak to which is here for a 2nd because you are working with an organization that sort of looking at things from a but i view which side is more representative of west south africans, full young people, active young people, care about this country. right,

but i think for me, what i think i would love to political parties to consider is actually do not politicize public participation process of getting people, you know, care more about britain, but to issue right, can i feed my friend? do i have a decent school to go to after i finish with employment thing with university or high school? you know, do i have a job that it's guaranteed for me, right? okay. now let me ask uh the people who are at the back. how many of you intend to vote by sure of hands? let's see. you didn't raise your hand. can you tell me why? i wouldn't be able to vote because that definitely template it's curb hudson done for fulfilling our policies that are taking our i'm it says here and we have struggling is blake you. so mr. d u r, i would say a champion of a n. c, a very big supporter, and when you hear a young fellow like this, seeing the n c, the people who are in power, they're not really working for us. what would possess you one might ask to continue

voting for the n c. so for me, i look at what the agency have done. i look at the track record in terms of how have they been able to transform society from a space where there was 0 participation of black people in the key sectors of the economy. to know this expanded participation does more black people, the rising middle class of much black people. there's more back people that are getting educated. and so what we must remember is that this imperative to transform society that the nc promised in 1994 with a difficult job that they had to do the promise that people and they have tried to go and deliver results. so let's, let's come back to the issue again for young people. what are some of the things for you then also critical locating needs to be results. unemployment needs to be results. these are 2 issues that are holding. so that for got back into the holding young people back, you know, be sure all of us talk about the forces. i mean, it's not through the forces that lead to the destruction of s comment the breakdown of reduce the of but do you see that it was currently is it was favoring of people

that are in the same circles as the people in power that has to lend from the top, but when the top is compromised, what is their left? so let's have some solutions. what needs to be done now by the pa to by the people of south africa to make this a country the to wants. it is important to show up to vote because what it does is that, you know, it makes it difficult for the political parties who are here and even independent candidates. because i think one of the 2 most of the justices young people to talk about, you know, uh the utah potty, the pre parties, the writ potty and the people party who must also emphasize also engage with independent candidates. because i think oftentimes even the messaging around, you know, voting and so, and particularly in this country with young people, it only is the goal and both of us and all those things. and sometimes you find that i did resources have been politicized with some political parties. we engage with young people will say, you know, we've been told that you must vote for this party because they'll give us jobs. but i'm going to encourage all of us. you have then people, it doesn't stop there,

we must pull up on the vote. most one of those 2 months that we made you say these are my demands as we did the right. and, you know, i'm following up. i know you mentioned the political process seems to end on the day of election for most young people. what can young people, i mean, the political part is due to move the country forward. i think political hygiene needed this entire of everything because you knew what young men and remaining, but i mean for the nothing quite lapse of coverage that covers the disability read . read difficult in any if you get it going to be jersey is the 2nd one. and also we need to get started. okay. alright. what's your for phase? like what do you think the country needs? so my brother said corruption, this off of corruption is to prevent it. so the way how hire and fire all politician it needs to be according to what culture. so i've seen and leaderships like the head of police commissioner o d, g 's, who have a norm as power to bring change what they need to go to undergo a transparent approved to a transparent interview process by an independent panel. so then the public and

politically scrutinize, the 2nd thing is procure, i'll procurement system is with the cause of corruption live. and so we're saying that we need to introduce technology like block chain to be able to transparently see who is getting the tender, how many people have been at. and if they've continued to see if i use uh who have been getting the 10, does the public all able to easily be to hold some people accountable, willing to let me hear from you as to the other of just electives to stay and not just the mistake because you wouldn't take it because the mistake edits you, if you have just the music edit, you obviously, you know, going to, if you entered, when are they finding information and finding or these things. what you've h yourself flight, you know better? how can you say you're not being supported if you did even try? so we started this debate with what's the and i want to conclude with him, right. what do you think your people, when doing pa, to, when you mean politics? what are the things that you want to see? what is the bit so accountability? we have as bit talk to report that most people that are still in government, nothing's been actioned on it. we just want to functional country. we just want to

live harmonious. we just want to live in a country that reflects the vision that was sets out when we reached 1994 and it was set that all were stays with behind us. we can feel that the nation is on auto pilot. and the people running in the opposition, the people are running just generally in the selection. none of them is fire us to feel that. so that's what that's going to be. but she says to us don't be pessimistic. but we're only pessimistic because we think paying attention for the last 2 years. well, that's a beautiful place as green as it sounds. it is a great place to rock this debate. thank you all for watching. i do like what you said. it must has not which cat gets into government so long as that cuts come, catch the mice. thank you for watching the so thank you so much to everyone who participated in last week debate. we really appreciate your insights, but i wanted to conceptualize that conversation a little bit more and i'm going to by fellow to a list and on the list kind of went on you thank you for joining us. thank having me. so we've just had the views of young people today and so went to and i was just

curious, you know, talking about nelson mandela's dream. if you want to wake up today, i just saw a task because it's become, do you think you would be impressed or not? i think you would be either this, the 2 ways of taking the he'd be impressed by the fact that is a multiplicity, and they are diverse options on the table for young people to look at. i think you'd be very proud of the fact that young people, despite the fact that the voting behavior doesn't link up with the, the kind of power that they have in their hands. that they're asking questions. and they are being critical of nelson mandela said, one of his opening speeches of the day he was released from prison. if the amc does what the project government does to remove that. and i don't think the spirit of, of the legacy needs to be one where it's just rainbow in glitches. it also needs to have 5 questions that i think young people are asking the hard questions. that's why you have such a, such a crystallise voice of, of, of, of, of,

of this disillusionment of not voting. and for those are voting, you know, that they have to mindset of what they need from the politician of the now. yeah. so you talked about 2 groups, the ones one not voting, of the ones who are, and these, this big number that keeps being repeated 14000000 unregistered voted for. if the trend continues and young people avoiding point it takes a political participation. what does that mean for the future of politics in this country? one of the key issues we have to address is the fact that the average age of south africans, according to last year, since this is around 2627. so if you have more people growing in that 14000000 gap, it means that we're not going to reach quorum, which is something that so africans never really had a problem with. with in the past, you're going to have elections being decided by a group of people who may no longer be with in the demographic or the living demographic. by the time, by the time the next election rolls around. but that's down to 2 things. one is,

is the issue of representation, right? not in terms of just age, but also in terms of understanding. i tend to class out this so many demographic fault lines. it's still an operation within, within south africa city is on that. i don't think that we addressed it also means that small apply to i'm the crowd movements are going to take advantage of the fact that no one is voting and create groups outside of the political party as an, as an association will group. and that brings to for an important question which is do you think this lack of representation in the political sphere is what is creating this huge gap in this story that i'm being told, the politicians seem to be speaking. one thing and young people was talking about something completely different. it's just such an extent. yes, there was a statement that i saw on this a be see a couple of days ago when men said when i, when you giving me a job, i will go vote. so now there's a question of ok. use a,

not just these reproductive entities that i just use for political hold. use one to be economic beings, which we social beings before they engage in political action. and that's something that has to be interrogated and, and something that has to be taken into account. you know, we're not having any conversations about why they know young women are presenting political parties in this election period. okay, so very quickly, we've looked at quite a number of issues. do you think this election is going to bring any change whatsoever to the current state of affairs and the country? i think people should look out for the role of small parties. people need to also look out for how the vote changes, 2nd provinces, but it wasn't. natal was a huge problem to look out for. but i think that the smaller parties may payroll because their calls are full, very full, very rounded conversations to be had about community based issues. and the 2021

local government election showed us that those issues as well. what people seats and councils and municipalities around the country. and i don't see, i don't see a way in which those current, when again, in a national provincial level, independent candidates is going to be interesting because of much of the, very few of them. and they can only have one seats, the kind of issues that can be tabled in a new parliament with independent candidates, could create interest in coalitions moving forward. right. so a lot that's look forward to, we can speak to see how the election unraveled. thank you. so much for your time, kind of well 90 fellow, just as i said, and also on at least no idea what is the weight. so for the district debate, i had promised you that we're going to get a v. i p. 12 of the township. and that's exactly what's coming up. thanks to discuss the artist, the thoughts. hello. this is samsung chaplain, known as science at 911. i'm

a street address where come to load when it comes to sewage. born and bred in to where to send a noise least reflect the back of his hand from the poor part of clips down to the more a market area or the plot. the window is the melting pulse of old will supply. but for which i have a dock history, it was created back in 19 thirty's, when the south african government started separate in black people from white people. today, the eclectic township is the country's largest of its kind. sense though, is a well known face in this neighborhood, he always felt this morning with a visit to mamma tempest. so make a lot of created a lot of parts is a way to, to my fatigues and chips center with no strangers to this kind of work. he used to wake up every morning at 4 am to peel potatoes. he and his grandmother would sell the food to work cuz commuting to johanna as book shops like these are the beating

her business and so wet. so this is the symbol affects the people growing up in the eighty's send those passion for us. blossomed, in the middle of apartheid. he began by painting free, then zealous signs on any blank wall he could find. he went on to study in switzerland, but decided to return to use the lubbock rachel. today you can spell his trademark colorful, eyes all across the city, including on the i caught a e, a to cinema. today. it's a ruined but back in the day it was one of the only places with black people could watch movies. yes. include much of a voice equipment or see anything to the government, but you always on the streets and writing 17 preaching that universal language and see, you know, we are not happy with the system. so wish i played a pivotal role in the eventful down full of apartheid sands i ponds as the legacy

of the sweat, who uprisings at the head to peterson memorial hundreds of school children were gone down. my police in 1976. that's the symbol that's representing my heart. i am here today. i'm free. i know my rights because of my uncles in my mind as my front desk will forward for us so that you can have a bed tonight. south africans now come together to celebrate freedom day commemorating the 1st post apartheid elections held in 1994 cents when his friends mark the occasion at a club neighbor's home. the well, that brings us to the end of a very special show here in johannesburg. thank you for your company and you don't want to tell us what you think we love hearing from you. why don't you write to us

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this is dw news live from berlin. israel pushes on with a defensive in a rough ok, despite international condemnation. heavy artillery pounds, the area as the exodus of thousands of thousands continues from the city once said to be a safe. so plus an opposition lawmaker and been georgian, parliament splashed with water while speaking out against the so called foreign agents built. the governing party has now pushed the bill through overwriting and presidential veto and to find weeks of protests were here.