The South African electorate is becoming less tied to race and identity-based voting but are increasingly making a wider evaluation of the performance of political incumbents.
Articles on Municipal elections 2021
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The failure of the 2021 post-election deal is a missed opportunity for the African National Congress and Inkatha to work together.
Metros may be a graveyard for political ambition. But if parties or individuals succeed, the rewards are considerable.
The 2021 local government elections signals widespread disillusionment with representative democracy that only a sea change in service delivery can fix.
The election results raise the real possibility that the ANC could be looking at another defeat in the 2024 general elections.
Turnout was low. But not equally so across the board. Patterns show it was not a statement by all voters – it was a message from ANC supporters.
The 2021 election will define for citizens important aspects of South Africa’s political future. What is the governing ANC’s future, and what was the impact of President Ramaphosa on this election?
The rise in political parties and the explosion in the number of independents means that it’s no longer simply a race among the three major parties.
The increased and diverse number of contestants shows a citizenry that is unwilling to leave its fate in the hands of ineffective incumbents.
The city’s government wanted the wealthy and overwhelmingly white areas of the city to subsidise the development of the poor and overwhelmingly black areas.
The Democratic Alliance posters were not a bolt from the blue. They were consistent with messages the party’s current leadership has been sending out for some time.
South Africa’s political parties would do well to learn from Ireland, where the three largest political parties negotiated a coalition treaty that stipulated mechanisms for conflict resolution.
The bigger parties which contest elections at all three levels would benefit the most – but voters might split their votes.
Political mistrust is high as the country looks to the next municipal elections in 2021.
Top contributors
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Professor of Political Science, University of the Western Cape
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Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg
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Political Scientist, University of the Western Cape
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Professor in Political Science, University of South Africa
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Chief Research Specialist in Democracy and Citizenship at the Human Science Research Council and a Research Fellow Centre for African Studies, University of the Free State
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Computational Social Scientist, University of the Witwatersrand
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Lecturer on Sociology, Harvard University
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Professor School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand
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Senior lecturer, University of Edinburgh
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Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Johannesburg
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Professor, Sociology, University of the Western Cape, Nelson Mandela University