Ballot your dissenting voice as turnout counts

As we wait for the results of the 2026 local government elections – which should be finalised from tomorrow into Saturday – there are a few observations to be made about the process.

First, it is a pity that the rest of our troubled country cannot be run the same away as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) runs elections.

By that, we mean that, other than slight glitches here and there, voting was a logistical triumph and testament to the detailed planning which went into it. Logistical triumph and detailed planning are not words you can apply easily to the vast majority of our towns and cities, which are falling apart.

Generally speaking, the coming together of South Africans from all ages, race and income groups, in the great levellers which are our election queues, proved once again that the things which some will play on to divide us are less than those which unite us.

The other aspect to contemplate as we take in the post-campaign pause, is the numbers. Not the numbers of which party got what, or which candidate claimed which ward. The more important number is how many people turned up to make their mark.

If – and the final numbers are not in as we write this – the turnout was higher than in previous local government polls, then it could be that South Africans are finally waking up to the power of democracy.

The vote is all about: you have to be in it to win it.

Sitting on the sidelines and hoping others will do it for you invites the corrupt and the bad actors to fill the vacuum you have left.

This election – perhaps more than any other since 1994 – should encourage more citizens to get involved.

If you don’t like what is happening, let your ballot paper be your voice.