Young Jews invested in SA elections

Young Jewish South Africans are under no illusion that the decisions made at the ballot box next week won’t affect them. 

From service delivery and safety to jobs, the future of Johannesburg, and concerns facing the Jewish community, young voters told the SA Jewish Report what will be on their minds when they make their mark. 

“Local government is where the future is decided,” said Jacob Hanson, a 20-year-old BCom Finance student at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), the national vice-chair of the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS), and former political officer of SAUJS Gauteng. “Water, electricity, roads, safety, and service delivery shape our daily lives far more directly than most national debates do. If we want a world-class, functioning Johannesburg, we have to hold the people running it accountable, and the most direct way to do that is at the ballot box. 

“Young people often feel that our vote doesn’t count, but staying home only hands the decision to someone else. Our community is small, so every vote matters even more. Showing up is how we earn a seat at the table and make sure our voices are heard,” said Hanson. 

Twenty-year-old political officer for SAUJS Wits, Jonathan Landau explained that after being exposed to student governance at university, he realises how important elections are. 

“I am aware of the influence that a student council has on campus and how quickly student sentiment changes when issues in the administration become public, and service delivery becomes less of a priority and more of an afterthought. I feel that it is effortless to get caught up online with the amount of content we are fed, and adding elections to the mix can make young people feel more overwhelmed and worried about the state of affairs in our cities, on top of all the other content parents worry about their children being exposed to online,” he said. 

Landau said he’s been especially amazed by the role that social media has played in these elections, going from banners on light poles to videos of a politician swimming in potholes. 

“It is necessary to educate ourselves on politics and make sure that we are keeping the discussions at dinner tables, in the car home from school, or at work open,” said Landau. 

“Seeing how discussions of elections have transitioned from noticing a poster board of a political organisation hanging on a lamp post, to seeing a candidate row an inflatable boat through a waterlogged pothole shows just how much influence social media in political campaigning holds. Parties like the Democratic Alliance have made a massive effort in campaigning online directly towards youth and new voters. Teenagers and students are talking; the youth is aware. The conversations at the Shabbat table show how everyone is engaging with election-related content online daily,” he said. 

Ben Shmukler, a 23-year-old studying electrical (information) engineering at Wits, believes his vote on 4 November is about shaping the South Africa his children will grow up in. 

“I want them to be able to grow up in a country where they feel safe, where basic services work, and where they have access to the resources they need to build the best lives for themselves and their children,” he said. 

Shmukler explained that when he enters the working world next year, he wants to be in a city that works. 

“I want to live and work in a city that functions properly. I want to be able to drive to work on roads without potholes, with working traffic lights, and infrastructure that is maintained,” he said. 

Landau is excited to vote in his first municipal elections and make his mark for his city. 

“I feel like I am constantly encouraged by parties to vote, but some more than others because they have made me reflect on the state of affairs in Johannesburg, in my neighbourhood, and how my Jewish community has adapted and transformed in recent years,” he said. 

“I genuinely believe Johannesburg is one of the best cities in the world,” said Hanson. “It’s home, and I want it to be a place where Jewish South Africans, and everyone else, can build their futures here rather than plan their exits.” 

Beyond service delivery, Jacob Boner, 22, who is studying towards an honours degree, explained that he is voting on 4 November because he knows how important it is to do so. 

“I just believe that many people fought for the incredible, lively democracy and the amazing rights we have in this country. And it would be a shame to let that go to waste. And it’s a privilege to be able to participate in democracy and to exercise our democratic right to vote,” he said.