Voters are moving beyond party loyalty — they want delivery
New research shows major shifts in voters’ priorities — and governance is becoming a key concern
South Africans’ attention has been firmly fixed recently on issues of good governance — or more specifically on its failures. This is due partly to several exposés of scandals involving former president Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family. The allegations are that members of the family and a network of individuals close to Zuma were involved in corruption and efforts to weaken key state institutions. But does the public outcry reflect actual changes in the hearts, minds, and loyalty of the nation’s voters? And what does this mean for the incumbent government, led by the ANC, when the people return to the polls in 2019? New research suggests that major shifts are beginning to happen in the country. For example, in past elections, loyalty to the ANC — the party that led the struggle for freedom and democracy — mattered more than government performance and trust in government institutions. This is no longer the case. The research shows that the performance of institutions such as parliamen...
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