Listening to the ‘Born Frees’: Politics and disillusionment in South Africa

ABSTRACT

In 2014 South Africa celebrated 20 years of democracy, and for many of the ‘Born Frees’ – those who came of age politically after 1996 – this was their first opportunity to vote in national elections. With democracy came the promise for South Africa's marginalised majority of voice and agency, but also the implicit promise that their democratically elected government would listen to them. In addition, the South African media have long championed their role as a voice for the voiceless. This article presents work done with youngsters from South Africa's poorest province, the Eastern Cape, in an effort to listen to their experience of politics and to understand their use of the media – especially whether it enables them to speak out and be heard in the public sphere. Our research shows that young people do not feel listened to by either politicians or journalists. Our conversations have revealed a strong sense of disempowerment, disillusionment with and distrust of both politics and the media. This has resulted in strategic and shrewd media consumption, and despite their invidious situation, they are able to articulate a critical appraisal of both politics and the media which is worth listening to.

Keywords:

• Born Frees
• disempowerment
• disillusionment
• distrust
• listening
• public sphere
• youth

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Vanessa Malila

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

VANESSA MALILA is the Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellow in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University.

Anthea Garman

ANTHEA GARMAN is the deputy head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University. She led the Mellon and NRF-funded research project into media and citizenship and is the editor of Rhodes Journalism Review.