Die sosiopolitieke sienings van 'n groep Suid-Afrikaanse universiteitstudente oor demokrasie in Suid-Afrika

Abstract

Democracy  in  South  Africa  is  under  pressure.  A  growing  number  of  citizens  are  convinced  that  the  government  is  underperforming  and  that  democracy  is  often  undermined.  The  current  generation  of  young  adults  will  soon  play  a  leading  role  in  all  sectors  of  society.  Their  sociopolitical  views  and  involvement  are  of  particular  relevance  to  the  future  of  South  Africa,  especially  with  regard  to  the  retention  and  expansion  of  democracy  as  an  institution  and  governance  model.  Researchers  point  to  a  global  trend  of  increasing  political  distrust  and  apathy  which  is  a  result  of  weak  and  corrupt  government.  Since  the  nineties  a  similar  trend  has  emerged  in  South  Africa.  The  youth  have  become  increasingly  uninvolved  in  politics  –  a  trend  that  is  in  stark  contrast  to  the  political  activism  that  characterised the black youth during the apartheid era. Young adults no longer feel obliged to engage in politics or civil society. Various studies have indicated that political trust in government and positive sociopolitical  attitudes  are  prerequisites  to  optimal  social  and  political  involvement.  A  stable,  lasting  
and  prosperous  democracy  is  threatened  without  the  active  involvement  of  the  adult  youth.  In  view  of  the above, an empirical study was conducted to establish the views that young adults (as “new” voters) hold on South Africa as a democracy. The investigation concentrated primarily on their views regarding the success of the current government and their confidence in the South African political context. This article focuses on the sociopolitical attitudes and opinions of the studying youth in particular. Research consistently  correlates  post-school  qualifications  with  political  participation.  It  follows  that  young adults in tertiary institutions ? the so-called intellectual cream ? are primarily responsible for the delivery of social capital which is vital to future political and community involvement in a democratic dispensation.  Hence  the  following  questions  arise:  What  are  university  students’  sociopolitical  views?  Do  their  views  affect  their  confidence  in  the  government? An  analysis  of  the  data  gleaned  by  the investigation revealed tendencies that are supported by the literature. It seems that young adult students are disillusioned with democracy in South Africa, and its negative consequences are illustrated by the data. The empirical findings of this study confirm these trends. The data reflects the dissatisfaction
with  the  performance  of  government  institutions  and  key  functions  of  government  and  the  perception  that  government  and  state  institutions  are  plagued  by  corruption.  High  levels  of  distrust  exist  in  the  government  and  its  institutions,  resulting  in  a  large  degree  of  sociopolitical  apathy.  The  government  faces a distinct challenge. Drastic steps should be taken to restore confidence in democracy. Strategies should  be  developed  for  young  adults  to  become  involved  in  sociopolitical  activities,  otherwise  democracy in South Africa will gradually weaken, with far-reaching consequences. The findings of this research and of similar studies can no longer be ignored.