By-Elections 2026: Your Guide to Participating in Local Democracy
- Kamogelo Theledi
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Think back to the last time you complained about a pothole, a broken streetlight, or bins that were never collected. Chances are, you weren't thinking about "local government" or "municipal structures". You were just frustrated that something in your neighbourhood wasn't working the way it should. But here's the thing: local government is exactly where those everyday frustrations either get solved or ignored. It's the level of government that touches your life most directly, shaping everything from how your streets are maintained to how services reach your community.
As by-elections take place across South Africa this year, at Futurelect, we're not sitting around debating what's broken; we're actively building the solution. Through our Civics Programme, we're making sure young South Africans have the tools, knowledge, and confidence to do more than just watch democracy from the sidelines.
You've probably heard the term "by-election" mentioned in passing, perhaps on the news or in a WhatsApp group, but what does it actually mean for you and your community? Simply put, when your ward councillor can no longer serve, whether due to resignation, passing, or removal from office, a by-election is called to choose their replacement. It's democracy's way of making sure your community always has someone representing its voice at the municipal council table.
Unlike the big general elections that happen every five years with all the fanfare, billboards, and radio adverts, by-elections happen quietly throughout the year. They don't get the same attention, but here's the thing: they might actually matter more to your daily life than you think. That pothole on your street that's been growing for months? The streetlight that's been out since winter? The refuse that doesn't get collected on time? Your ward councillor is supposed to be fighting to have these issues sorted out. They're your direct line to the people who control municipal budgets and make decisions about service delivery in your area.
So why, if by-elections matter this much, do so few people actually vote in them? We've heard every reason: "My vote won't make a difference," "They're all the same anyway," and "I didn't even know there was an election happening." And honestly? We get it. Here's what we've learnt from working in communities across the country: the moment people understand exactly how the system works and what power they actually hold, something shifts. Apathy turns into action; frustration becomes focus.
This is why civic education isn't just another nice-to-have programme. It's the foundation that makes everything else work. You can have the most democratic constitution in the world, but if people don't know how to use the tools it gives them, it's just paper. Through our Civic Education Programme, South Africa, we're changing that. We're sitting down with young South Africans and showing them, step by step, how local government actually functions. Not the textbook version, the real version: how to read a municipal budget, how to access public participation meetings, how to hold your councillor accountable between elections, and yes, how to make your vote count when by-elections roll around.
As your community prepares for by-elections this year, ask yourself: are you going to participate, or let others make decisions about your community without you? Your vote is your voice, but only if you use it. And when you do, we want to make sure you're walking into that voting station with all the information and confidence you need to make it count.
