{
  "id": 17916927,
  "title": "‘Vote for change to save cities’: Party leaders warn of rising voter apathy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/vote-for-change-to-save-cities-party-leaders-warn-of-rising-voter",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-03T05:40:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/elections/vote-for-change-to-save-cities-party-leaders-warn-of-rising-voter-apathy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Many voters appear not to be concerned about basic amenities like electricity, clean water, and road conditions, according to turnout figures that reveal widespread voter apathy. The upcoming local government elections in 2021 saw varying levels of participation, ranging from 42.36% in the North West province to a high of 53.31% in the Northern Cape. With a total of 26.2 million registered voters, there were 12 million votes cast, indicating that nearly three-quarters of eligible voters didn't bother to participate.\n\nIf the trend continues and only 50% of the 29.2 million registered voters cast their ballots in the upcoming election, more than 63% of South Africa's eligible voters wouldn't bother to vote. This lack of engagement could lead to the continuation of deteriorating municipal services, corruption, and unemployment, as political parties would likely remain in power.\n\nActionSA's Michael Basch emphasized that staying away from the polls risks condemning cities to another five years of poor service delivery. He added that political parties can campaign as much as they want, but ultimately, it is citizens who decide who governs them. If people don't exercise their right to vote, it becomes easier for the same parties that have been responsible for the current situation to maintain their grip on power. Corruption and the decline of infrastructure continue to worsen due to this apathy.\n\nThe DA's Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate, Khathu Rasilingwane, urged voters to take action instead of merely complaining about the existing issues. She stressed that residents have the power to choose a government that prioritizes service delivery, maintains infrastructure, and holds corrupt officials accountable. Helen Zille, the DA's Joburg mayoral candidate, warned that not voting is in itself a vote for maintaining the status quo or allowing the situation to worsen further. She urged people to recognize this as a last chance to save Johannesburg.\n\nPolitical analyst Ebrahim Fakir described the upcoming local government elections as one of the most unusual since 1994, with joburg and Tshwane likely to return hung councils. The polls suggest that neither the DA nor the ANC are likely to secure outright control, and parties like the EFF, uMkhonto weSizwe, and ActionSA are expected to play significant roles in coalition negotiations. Fakir noted that the crisis of representation and responsiveness, coupled with the decline in voter turnout, questions the credibility of elections as an instrument for change.\n\nUltimately, the question remains whether South Africans will participate in these elections, or if social, economic, and service improvements will come from the ballot or if the ballot remains a credible tool for popular power.",
  "summary": "Seven out of 10 voters don't seem to care about electricity, clean water or potholes, turnout figures show voter apathy.",
  "key_points": [
    "Voter apathy evident in low 2021 local election turnout, ranging from 42.36% to 53.31%",
    "Nearly three-quarters of eligible voters didn't participate, risking continued poor service delivery"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Widespread voter apathy threatens to cement the political status quo, potentially entrenching the very parties responsible for crumbling infrastructure and failing municipal services through a cycle of non-participation.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Haryana Congress to launch fresh phase of ‘Save Vote – Save Democracy Chaupal’ campaign from November 3",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/haryana-congress-to-launch-fresh-phase-of-save-vote-save-democracy",
        "published": "2026-11-03T05:02:07.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}