IEC warns ‘opportunistic’ political attacks on its credibility erode voter trust in polls

Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) Commissioner Janet Love says the IEC is “very concerned” about increasing attempts by some political parties to discredit it ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

Recent comments made by EFF leader Julius Malema during a podcast, in which he made allegations about vote rigging in the 2024 election, prompted the IEC to issue a statement last week noting its concern over the “sustained, yet inaccurate, statements” regarding the integrity of the 2024 results.

“The Electoral Commission is particularly concerned by the persistent false statements by political party leaders, which have the potential to undermine public confidence in the integrity of the impending elections of municipal councils,” it said.

In the run-up to the polls, the MK party has also claimed that it has been robbed of power in KwaZulu-Natal. It has made unsubstantiated claims that the 2024 election was rigged, and has filed several cases before the Electoral Court over this, one of which is still before the court and due to be heard on 17 and 18 June.

The party again questioned the legitimacy of the IEC and its processes after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the 4 November 2026 municipal election date.

“If things are very tightly contested, attempts to find ways to point fingers at all places other than oneself as a contestant [are] very tempting,” Love said in an interview with Daily Maverick last week.

“Unfortunately, that simply adds to the disenchantment of people to participate [in the elections]. I think that that really worries us,” she said.

South Africa is already facing its “most challenging electoral climate in decades,” with trust in government and democratic institutions at historic lows, according to the results of the recent IEC Election Research Survey. The survey found that support for democracy as a preferred system is no longer the majority view in any province.

“What’s very alarming is that there is an increase in the number of people who are willing to countenance a system whereby leadership emerges not through a democratic process – that’s alarming,” said Love.

Furthermore, the survey found that trust in the IEC is lowest in KwaZulu-Natal, at 20%, compared with the national average of 32%.

‘Get up, show up, vote’

The IEC launched its 2026 local government election campaign on Wednesday, 27 May, under the tagline, “Get up, show up, vote.”

The first in-person voter registration weekend is scheduled for Saturday, 20 June and Sunday, 21 June, between 8am and 5pm on both days. Online registration is already open.

How do I register to vote online? 🗳

1. Go to registertovote.elections.org.za

2. Check and confirm your eligibility.

3. Enter your ID number, name and surname, contact details, and confirm OTP.

4. Capture your address details (if you are already registered, but your place of residence has changed recently, you’ll need to update your address).

5. Upload a photo or copy of your SA ID – green ID book, smart ID or valid temporary ID.

6. You will receive a notification that you have applied and are registered to vote within 24 hours.

According to the IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo, 376,140 new registrations were recorded between January and May 2026, “reflecting a strong uptake – particularly among young voters”.

“The total number of registered voters currently stands at 27,912,415, exceeding the figures recorded at the time of the 2024 general election,” said Mamabolo.

Attacks on the IEC

The IEC received 47 complaints from political parties and individuals over alleged transgressions of the Electoral Code of Conduct in relation to the 2024 election. Five court cases were instituted, challenging the 2024 results, three of which were brought by the MK party.

(In comparison, 31 complaints were made against the IEC in relation to the 2019 election.)

“We had a number of cases that were brought against us, that attacked the credibility of the commission … and with the exception of one case that is not yet finalised, and that is the case that was brought by the MK party, we have been vindicated,” said Love.

“Those disputes have involved various parts of the electoral process, and we’ve had to provide evidence to ensure that the court is well informed and able to make a decision,” she said.

Love noted that the IEC’s electoral operational standards were recognised as being “top-class” throughout the world, and called the statements made by certain people that had no factual basis “very opportunistic”.

Asked whether she believed attacks on the IEC had increased over the years, Love said there was “no doubt” that they had.

“I think [the attacks] are more concerning because what has happened is that [they] have resulted in a number of people – officials at voter station level, for example – being the subjects of real abuse and intimidation. In the context of trying to recruit people of experience, who have the necessary commitment to the democratic process … in the face of that kind of misconduct, [it] is a real problem,” she said.

The 2024 election was, of course, not the first election in which the Electoral Commission faced attacks. In 2021, then DA federal chairperson, Helen Zille, for example, launched a baseless attack on the IEC, claiming that it had been captured by the ANC.

Former vice-chair of the IEC, Terry Tselane, said that meeting political parties on a bilateral basis generally yielded positive results, and helped “in terms of obviating some of the problems and criticisms that are unwarranted”.

“The legislation does implore all the political parties to convince their supporters about the impartiality of the commission, so it is important for all the political parties to always recognise what is in the legislation in dealing with the IEC. Having said that, is the IEC immune to criticism? Of course it is not immune [to] criticism.

“If there are constructive criticisms that are being levelled against the IEC, then the IEC has the responsibility to deal with those criticisms,” he told Daily Maverick.

To deal with attempts to undermine its legitimacy, the IEC has continued the strategy of engagement with political parties. In recent weeks, it has met both the EFF and MK about their claims of election fraud.

“We try a lot of proactive engagement with people who are part and parcel of the electoral process, and that includes a number of the contestants who sometimes recognise the importance of not turning their own difficulties and concerns unnecessarily against the commission,” said Love. DM