South African Catholic bishops educate voters to make better choices

Catholic bishops in South Africa, in advance of the 2024 elections, have published a special handbook to empower citizens to wisely exercise their democratic rights and play an active role in shaping the future of their country.

“Voter Education plays a crucial role in ensuring effectiveness and integrity of democratic elections because it empowers citizens by providing them with the knowledge and understanding of their rights, responsibilities and electoral processes. It also enables individuals to make informed decisions,” reads the handbook prepared by the Commission for Justice and Peace of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Southern Africa, which brings together the bishops of South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini.

“Voter education plays a crucial role in ensuring effectiveness and integrity of democratic elections because it empowers citizens by providing them with the knowledge and understanding of their rights, responsibilities and electoral processes.... By providing citizens with the necessary knowledge and understanding of the electoral process, people are empowered to exercise their democratic rights and actively contribute to shaping the future of their country,” said the Justice and Peace Commission.

The handbook details the South African constitutional system, founded on the principles of the separation of powers and democratic elections. It underscores the electoral body's significance as a vital element within this constitutional framework. "In a democracy, citizens play a crucial role in shaping the governance and functioning of their country, through voting, participating in political processes, holding elected officials accountable, informing themselves and engaging in informed discussions, respecting the rule of law, volunteering and participating in civic activities and exercising rights and freedoms responsibly," it said.

“The Catholic Social Teaching emphasizes the importance of political participation, including elections and democracy... While the Church does not endorse specific political candidates or parties, she provides guidance and principles to help Catholics engage in the political process in a manner consistent with their faith and the common good,” the handbook said.

Significant general election

The handbook was issued ahead of the 2024 elections. South Africa's seventh democratic elections to elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each province must be held between May and August 2024, with the exact date to be announced by the president early in 2024.

This is the first general election after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa past April signed the Electoral Amendment Bill into law, allowing for the inclusion and nomination of independent candidates as contesters to elections in the National Assembly and provincial legislatures for the first time.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, since the first post-apartheid election in 1994, has held a majority of seats in the National Assembly. The ANC anticipates strong electoral competition from the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters. However, the significance of smaller parties and independent candidates contesting for the first time could be pivotal during coalition negotiations.

The ANC leadership in government is also embroiled in financial embezzlement and graft. Jacob Zuma who was the South African president from 2009 to 2018, was driven out of office over corruption accusations. Ramaphosa, his deputy at the time, took over the ruling African National Congress and secured a full term in office as president in the 2019 general elections. 

South Africans are facing challenges such as corruption, crime, and unemployment, seem disengaged from the upcoming election. Analysts predict that voter turnout may be lower than the 49% recorded in the 2019 election. It is anticipated that a significant portion of non-voters will come from the generation born after 1994, with potentially less than a quarter of this demographic participating.

According to the Electoral Commission, there are approximately 27 million registered voters, with around 10 million falling within the 18-29 and 30-39 age groups. The electorate is primarily concerned about the nation's challenging economic conditions, marked by high unemployment, inflation, and frequent power outages, along with the persistently high crime rate and the perception of political corruption as the root cause of South Africa's problems.