Elections and accountability in South Africa

This research paper by Collette Schulz-Herzenberg of the Institute for Security Studies examines whether elections in South Africa serve as an effective accountability mechanism by analyzing voter behavior, perceptions of political parties, and cognitive mobilization.

• While South African voters are willing to withdraw support from the incumbent party due to disapproval of its performance, they are unlikely to transfer that support to an alternative party.
• A lack of political information and cognitive skills among most voters prevents them from shifting party support based on policy positions or ongoing performance.
• The paper concludes that elections are a weak mechanism for sanctioning and holding the government to account in the traditional sense, suggesting that the method of 'selection' should be prioritized as a means to control politicians.

APA

Schulz-Herzenberg, C. (n.d.). Elections and accountability in South Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/elections-and-accountability-in-south-africa

Chicago

Schulz-Herzenberg, Collette. Elections and accountability in South Africa. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/elections-and-accountability-in-south-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Schulz-Herzenberg |first1=Collette |title=Elections and accountability in South Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/papers/elections-and-accountability-in-south-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{schulzherzenbergndelections, author = {Schulz-Herzenberg, Collette}, title = {{Elections and accountability in South Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/papers/elections-and-accountability-in-south-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }