The North West Department of Education has launched the National Schools Democracy Programme (SDP) on Thursday, at Platinum Village Primary and Secondary School, in Rustenburg.
Through the SDP, the department has partnered with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the Department of Basic Education, with the aim to encourage and educate learners to participate in civic and democracy education as well as voter registration.
Learners took part in mock elections where they were shown how elections are conducted. They also simulated the roles of election officials.
Learners heard that any person who is 16-years or older and has a valid South African identity document is eligible to vote
The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi, said the National School Democracy Programme, will help educate learners about the importance of democracy and voting.
“We want to encourage learners at an early age so that they’re ready next year and those who qualify to vote should start now, and know what they should do when they get to the voting stations.
“The number of voters was down on last year’s polls and the more it goes down, it shows that as a country we have not registered any progress in terms of our people knowing the importance of voting, “said Motsumi.
The North West Provincial Electoral Officer, Dr Tumelontle Thiba, said citizens who do not exercise their right to vote are depriving themselves of choosing the party and the leadership of the country.
“The implications of withdrawal from participating in Electoral democracy are far reaching, in the sense that the main aim of democracy in our country is to make sure that we do not go back to our ugly past.
“Therefore it is important that we all participate in democracy in general, but in electoral democracy in particular, because we do not want to reach a situation where government change will happen through desperate measures, such as coup d’etat, therefore it is important that we continue to preach the significance of democracy.
“There are quite a number of reasons why voters withdraw from participating in democracy and the buzzword these days is deficiency of participation, so we don’t want to go that way because true democracy is participatory democracy,” she stressed.
According to Thipa, 50% of voters are women, further adding that changes are there at the polls as they still have a whole lot of women coming to vote.
The Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshegare, said the programme will be launched at other schools in the province.
