This month, 46 years have passed since the 1976 Soweto Uprising—an integral moment in the call for democracy in an apartheid-led South Africa. June 16 remains a monumental date in our country’s history. It not only reminds us of our commitment to democracy and the lives sacrificed in order for us to reap the benefits of democracy, but is also a day that requires us to reflect on the democratic position of our country, in particular on the relationship between the youth and democracy.

Most developing countries report a lack of youth participation in politics. The primary reason for this is the state’s inability to construct and/or develop sufficient platforms to encourage meaningful involvement of citizens—particularly the youth—in political processes. The result is that the youth feel that they are excluded from political processes and lack the means to express their grievances; therefore they tend to resort to protests and youth activism. The most ill-fated consequence of the youth’s sentiment of being isolated from the affairs of the state is that they are often persuaded into engaging in violent acts against the government as a result of their deprivation.

Political participation by the youth and access to opportunities for socio-economic development remain an important call in Africa. Young people have been acknowledged for their creative skills and innovative ideas, and when we look at the major political changes and dynamism, the youth is at the centre. The political empowerment of the youth is crucial for social and economic development. However, systemic exclusion of the youth from political affairs and the behaviour of young people in contemporary Africa have resulted in ‘non-political’ activism today, which has serious consequences. The youth represent a significant percentage of the global population and are therefore agents for change and development. They need to be included and to be actively involved in political affairs, particularly in the state’s decision-making process. Even though the youth are acknowledged by society as key agents of socio-economic change, they remain marginalised and excluded from the important political decision-making processes.

Social equality in Africa is challenged by the increasing lack of participation of the youth in political affairs. This is particularly evident in South Africa, where the collective development of the ‘youth bulge’ has become more conspicuous. The engagement and empowerment of the youth in state politics is imperative for building a sense of responsiveness and accountability in government.

A qualitative study titled ‘Youth transitions in South African communities’, which in 2015 was undertaken by the Centre for Social Development in Africa among young people with an average age of 17.5 years, revealed that young South Africans did care about politics and their role as citizens, but were not convinced that the government would or could address their concerns. Across the focus groups we observed young people who were surprisingly well-informed about current affairs. They held passionately expressed opinions about various political issues—from xenophobia to the government’s failure to provide basic services such as electricity, water and sanitation. They also expressed concern about the problems facing their communities, such as crime and unemployment. Perhaps it was this awareness that informed their views on formal political processes. It was also found that ‘most of the participants indicated an unwillingness to vote’.

Emerging research on political and civic participation by the youth in South Africa points to the fact that they find formal political processes not only frustrating and alienating, but also less likely to yield the desired results. It is not surprising, therefore, that young citizens in South Africa are often apathetic and feel marginalised, sceptical and distrustful of political parties— and politicians in particular. These factors hinder their full, effective and active participation in political and electoral processes. Furthermore, young people often feel disempowered by the very political actors who should be empowering them.

South Africa’s transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic dispensation was stalled by a paradoxical political situation that prevented the effective consolidation of democracy. A stagnating economy, abetted by high levels of inequality, threatened the transition to democracy. Many factors—including, but not limited to high unemployment (particularly among the youth); high poverty among blacks; poor and, in some instances, non-existent service delivery; and a corrupt and self-interested political elite—seem to have convinced the youth that voting is simply a waste of time. Problems created by poor governance have resulted in low levels of confidence in the ability of the political system to curb vices such as corruption. Governance problems are major disincentives to political participation. South Africa’s youth are generally seen as disengaged from conventional forms of political participation, such as voting and contacting elected officials, yet they are also seen to be disproportionately more likely to engage in protests and political violence. Interestingly, some party representatives saw this disengagement by young people as a betrayal of the youth of previous generations, who were involved in the Soweto Uprising in 1976 and the street protests of the 1980s.

Mistrust exists between politicians and the electorate on the one hand, and between the younger and older generations on the other hand. Young people generally blame the political system for their misfortunes. An unsupportive political system is probably the biggest threat to youth participation in modern-day politics and political processes. Youth apathy and political fatalism have increased over the years due to poor governance, the generational factor and a general lack of interest in political matters.

Interestingly young people are more comfortable engaging in other forms of activism, such as service delivery protests and protests at university campuses, which have become commonplace occurrences in South Africa. The youth see these protests as a platform to express their anger and disgust with public sector corruption, poor governance and poor service delivery. However, these forms of activism usually fall outside the purview of the law, and often turn out to be violent and chaotic. This militant approach was justified by a participant as necessary to ‘get them to hear us’.

While South Africa remains a model of a democracy in the region and, more broadly, on the continent, the realisation that the country’s young population has lost faith in political systems, and in electoral processes in particular, is a cause for concern and does not bode well for democracy. Political parties and electoral bodies must strive to create conditions that allow for the effective participation in politics by people of all age groups, including young citizens. The rise to prominence of Robert (Bobi Wine) Kyagulanyi Ssentamu in Uganda, Nelson Chamisa in Zimbabwe and Julius Malema in South Africa is confirmation that young people are beginning to question the status quo and are pushing the limits of old systems. These dynamics demonstrate how generational politics can shift the political landscape and possibly bring countries dangerously close to new crises.