LGE2026

Democracy is worth waiting for

After six hours in the queue, and having made a few brand-new friendships with complete strangers along the way, I finally cast my vote last week.

I casted my vote in a student populated ward in Cape Town, where the sight of young people arriving with camping chairs and umbrellas, some even bringing their books along to study while waiting, was particularly striking. Despite the exhaustion, the heat and, at times, the thirst, they remained committed to exercising their democratic right. Somewhere between the long wait and conversations with those standing alongside me, strangers became friends.

There was also a wonderful sense of community. As the hours passed, a few local entrepreneurs arrived, including a gentleman selling bottled water from a cooler box and a local auntie offering muffins and koesisters to those waiting in line. Small gestures, perhaps, but they added something special to the experience.

What stayed with me most was the determination of these young voters. They could have given up, gone home or found something else to do with their day. Instead, they chose to wait, sometimes for hours, to have their say in the future of their communities.

One could say democracy is worth waiting for. Much like the familiar sentiment that democracy is worth fighting for, the experience reminded me that exercising our democratic rights is both a privilege and a responsibility. No matter how long the queue, our participation matters. We have a say in determining the future of our communities and the country we call home.

And South Africans certainly came out to exercise that right. The 2026 Local Government Elections recorded a national voter turnout of 52%, an increase of 6.1 percentage points from the 45.9% recorded in 2021. Of the 29.2 million registered voters, approximately 14.9 million cast their ballots. While there is still room to improve participation, the increase is encouraging and suggests a renewed willingness among South Africans to participate in shaping the country's political future.

Unlike national elections, local government elections bring democracy much closer to our everyday lives. They are about the roads we drive on, the water coming out of our taps, the electricity in our homes and the services our communities depend on. Against a backdrop of deteriorating municipal services, governance challenges and years of political instability in several municipalities, voters had an opportunity to make their voices heard.

For South Africa's liberals, the results also offered some interesting developments.

The Democratic Alliance (DA), a liberal partner of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in South Africa, retained its position as the country's second-largest political party, securing 24.64% of the national vote. This represents an increase from the 21.66% it received in 2021.

The African National Congress (ANC), meanwhile, suffered a significant decline. Its support fell from 45.59% in 2021 to 30.76% in this election, a loss of almost 15 percentage points. The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, led by former ANC president Jacob Zuma, secured 9.76% of the national vote, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) received 6.22%.

Interestingly, ActionSA more than doubled its national support, increasing from 2.33% in 2021 to 5.67% in this election.

The results point to an increasingly competitive and fragmented political landscape, with the ANC's electoral dominance continuing to weaken. While the party remains the largest nationally, its declining support reflects a significant shift in South African electoral politics.

Perhaps most interestingly, the DA emerged as the largest party in five of the country's eight metropolitan municipalities: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay.

Cape Town remains its strongesthold, where the DA secured an outright majority, making it the only metropolitan municipality in which a single political party secured an outright majority. In every other metro, coalition negotiations will be necessary to establish governing arrangements.

In Johannesburg, however, the political stakes are particularly interesting. After a year of campaigning, including a series of widely circulated social media moments, Helen Zille and the DA emerged as the largest political force in the city, securing approximately 35% of the vote compared with the ANC's 20%.

But with no outright majority, the party will need coalition partners to form a government.

One potential coalition partner is ActionSA, led by former DA member Herman Mashaba, which secured approximately 16% of the vote in Johannesburg. However, the relationship between Mashaba and Zille has not always been an easy one. ActionSA has already indicated that it will not support a DA-led administration with Zille as its mayoral candidate.

Whether political differences can be set aside in the interest of a stable administration remains to be seen. Johannesburg has experienced considerable political instability in recent years, with frequent changes in mayoral leadership and coalition arrangements. The city can hardly afford another round of political musical chairs.

And Johannesburg is certainly not alone. Of the country's 213 municipal councils, 127 have resulted in hung councils, meaning no single political party secured an outright majority of seats. This makes coalition negotiations central to the formation of local governments across much of the country. Political parties now face the important task of negotiating and establishing governing arrangements that can provide stability and effective leadership.

For South Africa's liberals, this presents both an opportunity and a responsibility. The DA's electoral gains are significant, but winning votes and forming coalitions are only the beginning. The party has already indicated its willingness to work with political parties that share its commitment to liberal and democratic values.

The challenge will be translating these principles into practical governing arrangements. Coalition partners will inevitably have differences, but the interests of residents must come before political egos and the pursuit of positions. Accountability, transparency, respect for democratic institutions and, ultimately, improved service delivery should remain at the centre of these negotiations.

As South Africans return to their everyday lives, the work of democracy continues. Casting a vote is an important first step, but holding those elected accountable is just as important. Political parties must recognise that the trust placed in them by voters comes with a responsibility to govern in the interests of the communities they represent.

My six hours in that queue reminded me that democracy is not simply about political parties competing for power. It is about people, their hopes, their frustrations and their aspirations for a better future.

After all, democracy may be worth waiting for. But South Africans should not have to wait indefinitely for the delivery of the services and opportunities they deserve.