On 22 April 2026, ACORD participated in a multi stakeholder engagement hosted by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa, as part of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) stakeholder engagement programme in Durban, South Africa. The engagement brought together civil society organisations in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to dialogue and share insights, on shared priorities and strengthen areas of alignment, ahead of 2026/27 local government elections.
The IEC opened the engagement with a brief presentation of the findings from a voter participation survey, conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). The presentation highlighted the heightened erosion of public trust in democracy and electoral systems, largely attributed to economic hardships and dissatisfaction with governance. In KwaZulu-Natal, these trends were particularly pronounced, reflecting heightened disillusionment among communities. Yet, the study also revealed strong signals of voter intent, this underscored an important opportunity for the IEC to rebuild confidence through expanded voter education, proactive efforts to combat misinformation, and inclusive stakeholder collaboration in the lead-up to the 2026/27 local government elections.
During this rigorous session, civil society stakeholders, including women peacebuilders from ACCORD’s “Strengthening Women’s Leadership for Inclusive Peacebuilding in eThekwini” programme, contributed valuable grassroots perspectives to the engagement. Raising pressing concerns around safety and security in terms of voter crowd management, civic education within local communities, disability inclusion, and employment opportunities within the electoral process. The IEC responded constructively, noting the primacy of these issues, emphasising that partnership with civil society will be critical in addressing these concerns further.
ACCORD’s programme “Strengthening Women’s Leadership for Inclusive Peacebuilding in eThekwini” supports the efforts of the IEC to amplify community voices and strengthen participation in local governance ahead of the 2026/27 local government elections.
