Voter Campaign: #RememberMe

The founders of the Kagiso Trust were honed in the struggle against apartheid, and the Trust is invoking their inspiration in a campaign which aims to galvanise registered voters to cast their ballots in the national and provincial elections on May 29.

The #RememberMe campaign will focus on the sacrifices and triumphs of the likes of Desmond Tutu, Beyers Naudé and Frank Chikane as it encourages just over 27.7 million registered voters to follow their example of active citizenship – not only by voting but by supporting their family, friends, colleagues and neighbours to do the same.

Tutu’s anti-apartheid activism led to the confiscation of his passport; Naudé endured a seven-year “banning” – a form of house arrest; and Chikane was detained for a month and survived torture and an assassination attempt involving a deadly poison. Unbowed, they witnessed the end of apartheid and the birth of democracy, and their commitment to active citizenship saw them taking leading positions in post-1994 politics and civil society.

“It is that spirit we hope to harness with the #RememberMe campaign,” says Kagiso Trust chairperson Mankone Ntsaba. “Without the courage and resilience of activists like Tutu, Naudé and Chikane, apartheid would not have ended in the manner it did. Their example proves that committed citizens can make a difference, and it inspires us to take responsibility for the future we want to see.

“Their objective was to ensure that all South Africans had the right to vote. The best way to honour their success is to exercise that right on May 29 – and do everything we can to make sure other people vote too.”

Kagiso Trust believes an active citizenry will be a key component of  South Africa’s next 30 years of democracy. But it is alarmed by the sharp decline in participation in elections. In the 1999 national election, 88% of registered voters cast their ballots, but in 2019 only 66% did so. In the 2021 municipal elections, the turnout was just 46%.

“Voting and participating in government is a fundamental way of making your voice heard,” says Ntsaba. “This message is particularly relevant for this year’s first-time voters, who have grown up during a period when active citizenship has been in decline, and when the sacrifices of struggle heroes are fading from the national memory.

“With #RememberMe, we are looking to young voters, in particular, to step up and have a say in creating their country’s future.”

In addition to a media campaign that will bring the #RememberMe message to the record number of voters registered for this year’s election, Kagiso Trust has teamed up with the South African Democracy Elections Network, the KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council and the #Unmute Civil Society Initiative to roll out a nationwide voter education campaign.

“The aim is to energise people to vote and address the disconnectedness of the youth to elections and politics,” says Ntsaba. “There’ll be workshops and dialogues in every one of the country’s 54 districts, and millions of young people will be targeted through social media and community radio.

“It is the duty of civil society to provide information, build capacity and inspire people with a message of hope as we work towards a better country for our children.

“Kagiso Trust is deeply committed to a prosperous, peaceful, equitable and just society, and ensuring that you and your community exercise your vote is the start of the change you want to see.”

When Tutu voted for the first time in 1994, he described it as the best feeling in the world: “Like falling in love,” he said. Chikane recalls an “extraordinary day. For those of us who had no right to vote, who had no rights whatsoever, it gave lots of hope. It was unimaginable, but it happened.”

These are the rewards of active citizenship that South Africans must experience if our country is to thrive and prosper, says Ntsaba, adding: “May 29 is a great day to start.”

To follow and engage with the #RemeberMe Voter Education Campaign here: https://www.kagiso.co.za/why-voting-matters-empowering-young-south-africans-for-change ?