Elderly in KZN recount excitement of first democratic vote in 1994

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Elderly people from Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal remember the first democratic elections in 1994. 77-year-old Cynthia Nyembe and 62-year-old Thomas Lwenda say black people were excited to vote for the first time.

“In the shops, you were not allowed to fit. After 1994 you could go and fit in. It’s either you take it or when you say you were not allowed to fit actually. So I appreciate that because now it puts us more on the same level. We can never be on the same level, but in the eyes of God we are all the same,” says Nyembe.

However, amid the political violence in KwaZulu-Natal at the time, Lwenda did not vote due to fear.

“Yes, they were very excited. But you know, I don’t know if I was scared or something, you know it was a new thing, what’s gonna happen when I vote, whose gonna see me, and you know. And remember those days when there was political violence and so on. So that also scared me.”

The 80-year-old Santie Botha recounts the uncertainty among some white people about what was to follow. Some even stockpiling food.

“I think some were afraid and some were excited because people were uncertain. But I never stockpiled tinned food because I always say God is in charge no matter what.”

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Youth participation

Meanwhile, young people in the Zululand District in the north of KwaZulu-Natal who will be participating in the elections on Wednesday for the first time, are hoping their votes will assist in fast-tracking development in their areas.

The district, situated in the deep rural area of KZN, has many poor communities. Lack of infrastructure and basic services such as water and sanitation are some of the major challenges.

These young people say due to the high unemployment rate some have turned to crime.

One of the young people complains about the poor state of the infrastructure. “The road infrastructure here is really bad, I would say development as a whole is poor. When it is dark one cannot see and that makes us vulnerable to criminals.”

“We are a forgotten community. If the government could please provide employment opportunities to at least the older youth. Many are forced into crime,” says another resident, adding “We also need basic services, we need water. In some areas, we see that they are only starting now to provide services because they want our votes.”