27 January 2014
South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is featuring popular musicians and media personalities in a multimedia advertising campaign in a bid to increase the youth vote in this year’s general elections.
Toya Delazy, Anele Mdoda, HHP, Khuli Chana and Jack Parow are among celebrities that feature in the campaign, talking about why voting is so important to them and challenging young people to find their own reasons to vote, the IEC said in a statement on Wednesday.
In keeping with the theme of this year’s election campaign, “I Vote South Africa”(IXSA), the television adverts, with a soundtrack performed by local duo Goldfish and the celebrities filmed against a backdrop of a graffiti wall, end with the message “IXSA” sprayed on the wall.
The TV campaign is being supported by the use of social media platforms YouTube, Facebook, Mxit and Twitter.
The featured celebrities have over a million Twitter followers between them, and it is hoped that by engaging their followers on these platforms, they will encourage young South Africans to join the conversation about why it is important for them to vote.
“The youth are the future of our democracy,” IEC Chief Electoral Officer Mosotho Moepya said. “We hope that by getting their peers and heroes to encourage them we can make registering and voting in the elections popular and cool.”
South Africa’s registration levels of those in the 20-29 age group are low, currently standing at 54.5%. For voters aged 18-19 it is even lower at just 22.6%.
The TV advert has a one-minute, a 30-second and a 10-second version, currently being shown on all SABC channels, eTV and selected DSTV channels until the final registration weekend on 8 and 9 February.
Individual video clips of each celebrity sharing their reasons for voting have been posted on YouTube. The videos are also accessible on www.elections.org.za.
Final registration weekend
Registration stations throughout the country will be open for a final period from 8am to 5pm on Saturday, 8 February and Sunday, 9 February, for new voters to register and for those already registered to update and verify their details.
All South African citizens 16 years and older, in possession of a valid SA ID (green barcoded ID, new smartcard ID or temporary ID certificate), may register at their correct voting station.
To find out where your voting station is, visit www.elections.org.za and locate your correct voting station using the Voting Station Finder App or call 0800 11 8000 between 8am and 5pm.
Those registered voters wanting to check their registration details can do so at www.elections.org.za or by SMSing their ID number to 32810 (SMSes charged at R1).
Source: SAnews.gov.za
