IEC targets voter confidence in KZN amid record low satisfaction

The Electoral Commission (IEC) is moving to bolster voter confidence in KwaZulu-Natal following the release of a new study revealing historically low democracy satisfaction rates within the province.

The Human Sciences Research Council’s (HSRC) Voter Participation Survey found that confidence in democracy in KZN dropped to just 6% in 2025. This figure stands in stark contrast to the national average, which currently sits at 36%.

For the IEC, the survey serves as a critical barometer of voter sentiment as the commission prepares for the upcoming elections.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya confirmed that the commission has spent the past week in KwaZulu-Natal engaging directly with communities regarding the state of democracy and the importance of voter participation.

"The findings of this survey are very sobering," Moepya stated. "They suggest there are many voters who are dissatisfied with the democracy dividend, so to speak. There are even some who say it doesn’t matter for them how public representatives get to be in office."

Moepya noted that a primary goal of the IEC’s week-long outreach in the province was to shift public perception and emphasise the individual's role in a functional republic.

"Our message was clear," said Moepya. "Democracy needs urgent attention and servicing from all of us."