Political parties contesting the November 4 Local Government Elections have pledged to abide by the Electoral Code of Conduct and campaign peacefully, as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) warned of declining public trust in democracy.
Party leaders, including ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, DA federal chair Solly Msimanga and MK Party president Jacob Zuma, signed the code at a ceremony in Midrand on Wednesday.
IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya said the signing came against a backdrop of growing public scepticism, pointing to the commission’s 2025/2026 Voter Participation Survey conducted with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).
He said only 17% of adults surveyed were satisfied with the country’s democratic trajectory, while 68% were dissatisfied.
“This is not a narrative of casual disengagement; it is a story of profound structural disillusionment,” Moepya said.
He said public confidence in political parties, municipal councils and the IEC had declined amid economic hardship and service delivery problems.
Moepya also said the survey challenged the idea that young people were simply apathetic about voting.
According to the figures he cited, 69% of youth respondents believed their vote would not make a tangible difference, while 78% felt political parties became indistinguishable once elected.
“When half of our eligible citizens remain unregistered to vote ahead of these municipal polls, it is an urgent distress signal about our collective political efficacy and the health of our democratic contract,” he said.
Image: Timothy Bernard/ANA Studio
Parties commit to peaceful campaigning
Moepya said the Electoral Code of Conduct was intended to ensure that all 136,790 candidates had an equal opportunity to campaign and communicate their messages without fear or unfair distortion.
He said parties and candidates were committing themselves to rejecting political violence, intimidation, sabotage and threats against opponents, voters, the IEC and the media.
Mbalula said the ANC would campaign vigorously while respecting the law.
“We reject violence, intimidation, lies, and disinformation,” Mbalula said.
“We will compete strongly, fairly, and peacefully, and let the people decide,” he said.
Mashaba said ActionSA was signing the code because democracy was bigger than any individual party or candidate.
“There is no arena for intimidation, violence, or deliberate spreading of false information,” he said.
Msimanga said peaceful elections needed to be protected throughout the campaign, not only on voting day.
“South Africans must be free to hear competing ideas, that they must be able to scrutinise those who are seeking office, and that the voters must cast their ballots according to their own judgment,” he said.
Dlamini committed the EFF to peaceful elections and called on its members to treat voters with respect and dignity.
He also called for law enforcement agencies to remain impartial and protect citizens during the elections.
Zuma reflected on South Africa’s democratic journey at the ceremony and welcomed political leaders coming together to commit themselves to the electoral process.
The MK Party’s dispute with the IEC over the 2024 national election results also remains unresolved. MK has said resolving the dispute remains a priority ahead of the local government elections, while the IEC has rejected allegations of result manipulation.
IEC warns against threats to journalists
Moepya also highlighted protections for journalists under Article 8 of the Electoral Code of Conduct.
Political parties and candidates are required to respect the role of the media, allow journalists access to public political meetings, marches, demonstrations and rallies, and take reasonable steps to protect them from harassment, intimidation, threats and physical assault.
He warned against the publication of journalists’ private information online.
“No personal details or private information of a journalist—including their home addresses, personal contacts, or details of their loved ones—may be posted online,” Moepya said.
Parties face new disinformation rules
Moepya said the elections would also take place against the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation, particularly on social media.
Under the Electoral Code of Conduct Countering Disinformation in Local Government Elections, parties and candidates have a duty to verify information they distribute and publicly correct false or misleading information within 36 hours of becoming aware of it.
The code also prohibits coordinated misinformation networks, shadow accounts, sock puppets and deceptive use of generative artificial intelligence.
AI-generated campaign material and paid advertisements must be clearly labelled, says Moepya.
IEC seeks to avoid repeat of 2024 technical problems
Moepya said the IEC had strengthened its systems ahead of the November elections following technical problems experienced during the 2024 national and provincial elections.
He said voter management devices had been upgraded and stress-tested, while the results system had undergone end-to-end functionality testing.
Political parties will also be able to test the results system with their preferred independent experts between October 5 and 12.
The IEC has completed the recruitment and training of 23,696 presiding officers and 29,964 deputy presiding officers, while voter education has also been intensified.
Ballot paper printing starts
The IEC will begin printing ballot papers following Wednesday’s draw, which determined the order in which political parties will appear on the ballots.
The commission will print ballot papers for 4,488 wards across the country.
Political parties and independent candidates can inspect and sign sample ballot papers at their respective IEC local offices from 10am on Friday, September 25.
Moepya urged political leaders to use the campaign period to help rebuild public confidence in democracy.
“Sign this Code not as political theatre, but as a dedicated, actionable vow to rebuild the broken trust between the state and the street,” he said.
