South Africa's Voters Seek More Than Grievance Politics

The recent local government elections in South Africa, held on November 4, 2026, have sent a clear message to the country's political leaders. According to Lorenzo A Davids, CEO of the Development Impact Fund, voters are tiring of the politics of grievance and demanding something more consequential: a future. While South Africa's grievances, such as dispossession, exclusion, and structural inequality, are real, articulating them does not necessarily translate into a better life.

The election results indicate that voters are looking for more than just the airing of grievances or speeches on past injustices. They want to know how the economy will grow, which jobs will emerge, whether their municipality will function, and whether their children's futures will be secured. The African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) face a test of performance, with the ANC's decline reflecting its diminishing ability to translate historical legitimacy into reliable government.

The DA's gains suggest that voters are considering alternatives that emphasize governance competence and economic leadership. However, neither party offers an adequate answer to the severity of South Africa's economic crisis, and both need far greater ambition to address the country's structural inequalities and stagnant economic growth. Smaller parties built around particular communities' grievances, such as the National Coloured Congress and Freedom Front Plus, must ask themselves what purpose they serve if they offer little beyond the grievances of their constituency.

Historical injustice, restitution, and cultural identity matter, but they cannot constitute an entire political program. A country cannot be rebuilt by parties whose sole purpose is to mobilize its divisions permanently. Voters seek supported resourcefulness, with conditions that enable individuals, families, and communities to build prosperous futures for themselves. This means jobs, useful education, reliable services, and institutions that enable enterprise and participation.

Grants remain essential, offering dignity and relief, but they do not create jobs of the magnitude the economy requires. Grievance politics can explain what is broken more readily than it can repair it. Anger may explain a movement's origins, but restitution may be part of its program. However, neither proves the wisdom, competence, or courage needed to lead. There is a difference between those who constantly identify the injured and those driving the ambulance to get the injured to a place of healing.

The proliferation of parties also deserves scrutiny, with many attracting negligible support as ballot papers lengthen and administrative burdens grow. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) should urge Parliament to review party registration rules, considering larger thresholds of verified supporters or votes, subject to constitutional safeguards. The aim should be meaningful constituencies and credible programs, not silencing smaller voices.

The recent election was not a declaration that South Africa's historical grievances have disappeared, nor was it a universal endorsement of the economic policies of the larger parties. It was a warning that anger, grievance, and restitution are no longer sufficient foundations for trusted and admirable leadership. A political leader cannot claim the moral authority to govern simply because they can articulate past injustices or mobilize present anger; leadership requires intelligence, insight, competence, courage, and the ability to translate political conviction into economic and social progress.

Key points

• Voters seek more than grievance politics, demanding real growth, capable leadership, and better opportunities.
• The ANC and DA face a test of performance, with the ANC's decline reflecting its diminishing ability to translate historical legitimacy into reliable government.
• The proliferation of parties deserves scrutiny, with the IEC urging Parliament to review party registration rules.