First Lady Tshepo Motsepe (centre) and President Cyril Ramaphosa casting their votes at the Hitekani Primary School polling station in Soweto on May 29, 2024, during South Africa’s national and provincial elections. The 2026 local government elections thus represent more than a routine electoral contest. The future of the country. will be determined as much by the decisions of its citizens as by those elected to govern, says the writer.
Dr. Reneva Fourie
South Africa cannot afford another election defined by public indifference. The 2026 local government elections must become a national statement that public office exists to serve citizens rather than party and personal interests.
That objective depends on one principle above all others. Accountability. Without visible and consistent accountability across every sphere of government, public trust will continue to erode.
Young South Africans who have grown up surrounded by corruption scandals, allegations of abuse of power and slow-moving investigations will struggle to believe that voting can still shape the country's future if wrongdoers are not held to account.
