BOKSBURG — Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has called for voting to be made compulsory in South Africa and for national and local government elections to be held in the same year.
Malema was speaking at the EFF second plenum of the third National People’s Assembly, held at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg over the weekend.
Addressing party delegates, Malema argued that democracy is weakened when citizens choose not to participate in elections.
He said voting should be treated as a civic duty rather than a choice.
“We want every child who turns 18 to be automatically registered to vote. It must be a law in South Africa. Voting is a civil responsibility and not something people do when they feel like it,” Malema said.
He added that low voter turnout, especially among young people, undermines accountability and allows poor governance to continue unchecked.
“You cannot complain about service delivery, corruption and unemployment when you are not prepared to vote. You must play your role as a citizen,” he said.
Malema also proposed that South Africa should align general elections with municipal elections, saying this would reduce election fatigue and save costs for the state.
“There is no reason why we should be voting all the time. National and local government elections must take place in the same year so that people participate meaningfully and consistently,” he said.
According to Malema, holding elections in different years contributes to declining turnout and confusion among voters.
The EFF plans to formally lobby Parliament to consider changes to electoral legislation, including compulsory voting and automatic voter registration.
South Africa is expected to hold its next municipal elections in late 2026 or early 2027, following the 2024 national and provincial elections.
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