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The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is calling on political parties to help rebuild public trust as confidence in the country’s electoral processes and institutions declines. The IEC leadership has been on a week-long engagement with stakeholders in KwaZulu-Natal including political parties.
🎯The IEC Commissioners concluded a five-day stakeholder engagement in KwaZulu-Natal from 20 to 24 April 2026, focusing on strengthening democracy and boosting voter participation.
Chairperson Mosotho Moepya briefed the media on outcomes, aligning the visit with insights from… pic.twitter.com/OjdaWpEPgm
— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) April 24, 2026
This comes as a study by the Human Sciences Research Council showed trust in the IEC and democracy has fallen in the country, with KZN among the provinces with the most dissatisfied voters. It revealed voter satisfaction in the province dropped from 54% in 2004 to just six percent in 2025. Trust in the IEC is currently at 20% in the province, which is below the national average of 32%.
IEC chair Mosotho Moepya says a whopping 69% of respondents still believe that it is a civic duty of citizens to vote.
“This must give us encouragement. Recognising that the forthcoming local government elections will be highly contested, efforts to improve voter turnout must address widespread public disillusionment, declining trust in institutions and concerns about electoral integrity.”
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