The EFF, South Africa’s fourth-largest political party in parliament, has called on the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) to intensify voter education efforts, especially among young people as they are on the receiving end of poor service delivery.
This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last week that the 2026 local government elections will be held on November 4 in the country with a population of about 60-million.
The red berets said in a statement that the continued lack of adequate civic education has contributed to high levels of “voter absenteeism” and not enough has been done to educate young people about the importance and power of voting.
Of the 27.8-million people that were registered to vote during the 2024 provincial and national elections, only 16.3-million cast their ballots, meaning 11.5-million did not bother to vote, an issue electoral analysts have largely blamed on voter apathy, driven by poor service delivery, deepening inequality and a growing sense of disillusionment with the political system.
Millions not registered
The EFF noted that South Africa is home to about 12-million young people between the ages of 18 and 29 and “only 4.5-million are registered to vote. This means that more than 7.4-million young people, constituting the overwhelming majority, remain excluded from the democratic process”.
“This reality reflects a generation that is most affected by unemployment, poverty and inequality, yet remains locked out of the very system that determines their material conditions.
“When young people do not vote, they surrender their power to others and allow decisions about their lives to be taken without their participation. In doing so, they inadvertently legitimise their own suffering and entrench the conditions of poverty, joblessness and exclusion.”
The EFF called for the adoption of its electoral amendment proposal, which seeks to introduce the automatic registration of all South Africans at the age of 16, saying: “Such a measure will significantly increase voter participation and ensure that no young person is left outside the voters’ roll due to systemic barriers or administrative failures.”
When young people do not vote, they surrender their power to others and allow decisions about their lives to be taken without their participation.
— EFF
IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said: “The announcement of the election date provides clarity for all role players and certainty of planning for the Electoral Commission as we continue our work to deliver free and fair municipal elections.”
The IEC encouraged all eligible South Africans who are not yet registered, or who have changed their place of residence, to ensure that they are registered in the voting district where they reside.
“The Electoral Commission, however, notes that this announcement does not constitute the formal proclamation of the election date. In terms of the law, the official proclamation will be made by the minister of co-operative governance & traditional affairs, at which point the voters’ roll will be closed.
“Prospective voters are invited to make use of the commission’s online registration platform available at registertovote.elections.org.za by visiting the Electoral Commission website on a desktop computer or mobile phone to register or update their registration details.
Alternatively, citizens may register during the national voter registration weekend on June 20 and 21 2026 at the same voting stations where they intend to cast their ballots on election day,” the IEC said.
Elections analyst Wayne Sussman could not immediately be reached for comment.
DA national campaign manager Ashor Sarupen said his party, South Africa’s second-largest, is ready for the march to election day. “On this day, South Africans will have the power to vote for a local government that will get their municipality working. This local government election is make-or-break for many small towns, municipalities and metros, and only voters can decide if their towns or cities fail or succeed,“ he said.
“The DA has been hard at work preparing for this election, engaging voters in all communities and preparing for our largest-yet campaign. Now, all South Africans who can take up the power of their vote on election day must ensure that they are correctly registered to vote.”
He said the DA is targeting municipalities across South Africa, “in every province where support levels show that we can win”.
“The DA has been first out of the blocks to present to South Africa a field of mayoral candidates who have been selected through a rigorous process to ensure the highest calibre…. Our campaign has already directly engaged and interacted with over 2.5-million voters and in the coming weeks and months millions more will meet the DA face to face as we ramp up our campaign.”
The urgency of getting towns and cities working is immense, Sarupen said, adding “that is why this local government election is so important for South Africa”.
The beleaguered local government sector is dogged by malfeasance and fiscal challenges in which billions of rand have been wasted on fruitless, wasteful and unauthorised expenditure annually, affecting delivery of basic services such as potable water, electricity, clinics and refuse collection.
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