By Emily Setona
BLOEMFONTEIN – South African voters have become more informed, more demanding and less willing to support political parties based solely on historical loyalties, according to independent political analyst Dr G.L. Phokontsi.
Speaking to The Guard ahead of the voter registration weekend for the 2026 Local Government Elections, Dr Phokontsi said the country’s political landscape has changed significantly as communities increasingly judge leaders on service delivery rather than political rhetoric.
“The calibre of the South African voter has changed. Voters are no longer simply following popular views or influential politicians. They are calculating and assessing the loyalty they have shown against the service they receive. They have become disgruntled, discontented and disillusioned,” she said.
According to Dr Phokontsi, restoring public trust has become one of the greatest challenges facing political parties.
“The remedy to voter apathy is the restoration of trust. Actions must speak louder than words. The influence is no longer verbal; voters expect practical, evidence-based leadership. Slogans are not enough and promises no longer make sense.”
She said voters now want leaders who understand the realities facing communities and who can provide tangible solutions to unemployment, infrastructure development, economic growth and integrated spatial planning.
“A politician who will succeed is one who stops focusing on blaming the past and instead projects the future. People are looking for realistic strategies that respond to the challenges they experience every day.”
Dr Phokontsi also expressed concern over the growing number of political parties contesting elections.
“The increase in political parties provides democratic choice, but it also weakens democracy by splitting votes and creating unstable coalition governments. Many municipalities have become dysfunctional because coalition governments often become self-serving instead of serving communities.”
She said poor municipal governance continues to undermine constitutional rights through deteriorating infrastructure, unreliable water supply, poor refuse removal, inadequate housing, unemployment and declining public services.
“Our municipalities are overwhelmed by systemic corruption, poor accountability, lack of transparency and weak leadership. The result is that citizens lose confidence in government because their daily realities do not improve.”
Following Dr Phokontsi’s interview, the Electoral Commission’s voter registration weekend results appeared to reflect the growing political engagement she described.
The IEC announced that 97 211 voters were assisted across the Free State during the registration weekend, including 14 621 new registrations, 51 955 voters who re-registered in the same voting district, and 30 635 voters who changed their voting districts.
Youth participation included 3 265 voters aged 16–17, 2 322 aged 18–21, and 16 566 voters aged 20–29, suggesting strong participation by younger voters ahead of the 4 November Local Government Elections.
The Electoral Commission has encouraged eligible voters who have not yet registered or updated their details to do so before voter registration closes on 7 August, using either the online registration portal or its newly introduced WhatsApp registration platform.
