Young and elderly voters queue at Wits amid water, electricity challenges - TimesLIVE

Young voters at a sports hall at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on Wednesday raised concerns about the irregular supply of water and electricity.

Siam Tanda Mashekila, 25, said she was proud to see young people coming out in numbers to vote, but remained unsure whether political parties would deliver on their promises.

“I read up on the policies again and thought they looked good on paper, but how sure am I that they are actually going to execute them?” she asked.

Mashekila said electricity, water and streetlights were among the basic services she wanted elected leaders to prioritise.

She said reliable electricity was important for students who needed safe spaces to study, while proper street lighting would help those who travelled home late.

We have been without water and electricity since Tuesday ... I had to go back home to take shower because I don’t have electricity at my residential house. It’s frustrating

“Since our institution is situated in Braamfontein, we struggle so much when it comes to water and electricity. We are turned back home when there is no water which is a serious concern because it also affects our learning schedules.”

Third-year Wits law student Lebo Sebolao, 20, also raised concerns about water and electricity outages in Braamfontein. She said the situation had been frustrating since she moved to Johannesburg in 2024.

“We have been without water and electricity since Tuesday,” she said.

She said for her to make it to the voting station she had to travel back home in Johannesburg South to have a bath then go back to Braamfontein.

“I had to go back home to take shower because I don’t have electricity at my residential house. It’s frustrating.”

Another Wits student, Limakho Malusi, said the high cost of university education has remained a major challenge for young people, particularly black students.