OVER the past three decades, millions of South Africans have exercised their democratic right to vote – often with hope and always with dignity.
Yet we must also acknowledge, with humility and honesty, that many of our people have expressed disappointment with the dividends of democracy. For too many, lived realities have not improved as they had hoped.
Just a few days ago, we released the Human Sciences Research Council’s findings on voter participation. These findings invite sober reflection on the nation and on the state of our electoral democracy.
In essence, the findings indicate that, three decades into democracy, public trust in many of our institutions has declined. While some institutions have been more affected than others, the overall trend is clear: South Africans do not trust institutions as they once did.
For us as the Independent Electoral Commission, one of the key takeaways is that public trust – whether in institutions, processes, or outcomes – cannot be taken for granted. Nor can we rely on the trust of yesterday to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
We must continuously build trust and demonstrate, to those who place their confidence in us, that we do not take it for granted.
Trust is fragile. It must be preserved with great care.
Encouragingly, even when trust has been strained, it can be rebuilt through consistency, integrity, and deliberate effort.
In short, trust must be earned, and when lost, it must be re-earned.
As the IEC, we fully accept this responsibility. We are committed to strengthening and reclaiming our standing as one of the most credible and respected election management bodies in the world.
This will not be achieved through words alone, but through our daily conduct – in every office, in every interaction, and in every aspect of our fieldwork across the country.
We understand that credibility is not defended through media statements or rhetoric. It is built – patiently and visibly – through ethical conduct and actions that are not only beyond reproach.
We will therefore intensify our engagement with all stakeholders – the citizens of South Africa, political parties, civil society, traditional leaders, and the media. We will pay particular attention to those parts of the country where doubt and mistrust have taken root. We will listen. We will engage. And we will respond – not defensively, but constructively.
Even as we commit ourselves to this path, we must be clear about one fundamental truth:
Democracy only works when citizens participate.
Elections are the most powerful expression of that participation. They are the moments when every citizen, regardless of status or circumstance, is Equal – in voice, equal in power, and equal in their ability to shape the future of their community and country.
To withdraw from this process -to retreat from participation – is to surrender that power. It is to silence one’s voice at the very moment it is meant to be heard.
Yes, democracy is imperfect. It reflects the imperfections of those who operate within it. Yet it remains, without question, the best system humanity has devised to ensure that every person has a voice, that every interest can find expression, and that every grievance can be addressed within a framework of peace and order.
The answer to the challenges within democracy is not less participation, but more. It is a deeper engagement and an unwavering commitment to making the system work better for all.
And that is why today is also a call to action.
We call on every eligible South African to register to vote.
If you are already registered, please ensure that your details are correct and up to date. If you have never registered before, take that first step.
Encourage your family, friends, colleagues, and communities to do the same.
And once you are registered, vote where you are registered.
Let this logo, unveiled today, serve not only as a symbol of an upcoming election, but as a reminder of our shared responsibility: the responsibility to protect what we have built as a nation; the responsibility to improve what is not yet working as it should; and the responsibility to ensure that democracy continues to serve the people of South Africa.
It is, ultimately, a patriotic duty – to guard our democracy vigilantly and to defend it always.
The Commission stands ready to play its part. We invite all South Africans to do the same.
- This is an edited version of a keynote address by Mosotho Moepya, the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, at an event to launch the official logo of the 2026 Local Government Elections.
