WC Premier Winde believes this election will see greater youth turnout

CAPE TOWN - Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said his gut feel is that this election will see greater turnout from the youth because many are feeling disillusioned about their future.

He’s hoping for a second term as premier, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) facing its toughest provincial election yet as it looks to extend its hold on the province to twenty years. 

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Winde has joined the long queue at the Jan van Riebeeck High School in Gardens to cast his vote with his family. 

The premier believes this election campaign, more than those in recent years, has ignited the desire of the youth to become active voters. 

He said matriculants are particularly concerned about finding a job in a country where youth unemployment is at record levels. 

“In democracies around the world, young people don’t vote unless they’ve got something to lose. Normally, what happens is they vote when they become property owners, or they vote when they have debt, and interest rates start hitting them. 

His own daughter, Lauren, who is voting for the first time, said while young students like herself feel more energised to vote, many are undecided about who to vote for. 

“I heard people say yesterday at my college that they are not sure who they are going to vote for. They are kind of going to decide on the day.”

Winde said a change in policy can impact on creating an environment that will create more jobs for young people.