The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has raised concerns about the ongoing decline in voter turnout across South Africa, warning that diminishing public confidence in state institutions is driving citizens away from the polls.
Briefing a joint sitting of the Home Affairs and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) committees, Deputy Chief Electoral Commissioner Masego Shiburi said the erosion of trust in government is now affecting the IEC itself.
Shiburi explained that as confidence in key political institutions weakens, the impact becomes “universal,” extending to the body responsible for managing elections.
“That trust also extends to the election management body like the IEC, so we suffer collateral damage from the loss of trust in key political institutions,” he said. “You will see that crack in the electoral commission, and if you do not trust an institution, chances are you are unlikely to respond to its messaging or heed what it says.”
The IEC has urged lawmakers to prioritise rebuilding credibility in democratic institutions to safeguard electoral participation.