'My vote counts a lot'

04 August 2016 - 08:30 By Katharine Child

About 1.9 million people aged 18 and 19 were eligible to vote yesterday, the Institute for Security Studies said, but according to the Independent Electoral Commission only 506,561 had bothered to register. The Times asked young people why they were voting."I am a born-free," said Banele Swaartz, 22, in Johannesburg. "I was angry but then I decided to vote."Tomorrow I will wake up and complain. Why should I complain if I didn't vote?"Live results, cool maps, fierce battlegrounds: follow the local elections on our web app:http://bit.ly/2apwZKUSpeaking outside the University of Johannesburg voting station, Moatshe Ofentse said: "I came to vote because I believe my vote counts a lot; I can change the world with just one vote."She was one of many in the queue at the university's Doornfontein campus.Standing with her was a friend who said she was not going to vote.She refused to give her name, but said: "I am not interested in politics. I just don't like [politics]. I am here only to support my friend.""Some of my friends are not interested," said Sizwe Dlangamandla, who did vote. "It's being responsible for me to vote."..

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