Mayibongwe Maqhina|Published
A majority of Western Cape residents believe voting is their civic duty, but growing disillusionment with political parties and declining faith in democracy point to a challenging climate ahead of the November 4 local government elections.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Wednesday held a stakeholder seminar to unpack a Voter Satisfaction Survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).
The electoral body commissioned the HSRC, between October 2025 and February 2026, to conduct a survey with 3500 respondents from urban and rural areas across the country.
HSRC chief research specialist Derek Davids said 69% of Western Cape respondents indicated that they agreed it was their duty to vote, which was 7% above the national average.
Disillusionment shapes voters’ choices
“Only 41% of citizens in Western Cape who had never voted before agreed that it's the duty of all citizens to vote,” he said.
Davids also said the survey found that 51% of respondents in Western Cape felt that it made little or no difference which party won the local government elections compared to 55% of the rest of the country.
“Thirty five percent said it makes some or big difference compared to the 40% nationally. This is a good indication that people are disillusioned or think political parties don't deliver.”
Some voters may abstain if parties disappoint
In the Western Cape, the survey showed that 59% of adults who had voted before indicated that they voted because it made a difference.
Fifty percent of respondents who had also voted before indicated that their vote would ensure they get quality health, education and other basic services.
“Twenty nine percent of Western Cape adults who had voted before stated that after being elected all parties are the same, so voting is pointless. Twenty five percent of Western Cape voters said that the last party they voted for did not protect their interests.”
Davids also said the survey showed that willingness to abstain if disappointed was found to be a particularly common response if a party did not meet the voters expectations.
“Regular voters were more likely than irregular voters to remain loyal if they were disappointed by the party. If you think it matters who wins elections, then you remain loyal; or vote for another party,” he said, adding that this was suggesting that voters expected delivery of services or improvements in their lives.
Loyalists stood at 35%, followed by abstainers at 24%, swing voters 22%, conditional loyalists 7% and undecided 12%.
Davids also said the survey found that the support for democracy as the preferred system of government was no longer a majority view in the Western Cape.
It went down from a high of 57% of adults in 2015 to 46%, yet the support remained highest of all nine provinces.
Support for democracy falls below majority
“A fatalistic view (type of government regime ‘does not matter’) is expressed by a substantial share of 29% of adults. Support for non-democratic alternatives is mentioned by just under one fifth of adults (19%),” he said.
The satisfaction with democracy in the province fell from 59% in 2007 to 19% in 2025.
“Adults who think democracy is the best system also tended to express satisfaction with the way that South African democracy was working. Sixty three percent of Western Cape adults said they were dissatisfied with the general economic situation in South Africa at present."
According to Davids, there was a decline in institutional trust in core political institutions such as national government, parliament, local government and courts in the province.
Support for democracy falls below majority
“Courts were favourably rated in 2003 at 50% but they declined. Local government was lowest compared to others from 37% to 27%.
“It is an indication that people are not feeling happy with what they are getting."
Trust in Parliament has gone down from 40% to 25 just as it was the same with the national government.
“It is quite clear that the Western Cape enters the 2026 local government elections in a complex and fragile democratic climate characterised by growing pessimism, frustration, political disengagement and declining institutional trust.
“Support for democracy remains relatively stronger in the province than elsewhere, but commitment to democratic governance has weakened considerably, alongside fatalism and disillusionment," said Davids.