April 2011 - Centre for Civil Society - University of KwaZulu-Natal

2010 Democracy Perception Barometer
Democracy Perception barometer 4 April 2011
What does democracy mean to ordinary citizens and how does it improve
their lives? How do citizens think democracy is working for them and their
communities? How do citizens think their local elected leaders and
municipalities are doing and do they trust them? Is democracy becoming
more entrenched in the communities in which they live? Is there a
difference in citizens? views about how national government is doing
compared to the local sphere of municipal government? Is the ballot used
as an instrument of accountability or do citizens vote for other reasons?
How do citizens feel about voicing dissent? And what does this all mean for
the local government elections of 18th May 2011?
These and other questions form the basis of the 2010 Democracy
Perception barometer. The study engages and interprets the views of 330
ordinary citizens who classify themselves as poor. It is their voices that are
typically lost in national polls. They live in 6 rural communities
(Nxamalala, Gezubuso, Mafakatini, KwaMpande, Ndaleni and Trust Feed)
which are administered by 3 different local municipalities (Msunduzi Local
Municipality, Richmond Local Municipality and uMshwathi Local
Municipality) and fall under the uMgungundlovu District Municipality. All of
the six communities have been the site of major political violence,
struggle and repression leading up to the 1994 National General Elections
and other ruptures subsequent to this date. Moreover, the historical
context of these areas (barring Ndaleni) has meant that the voices of
citizens who reside in these areas have typically been culturally inhibited.
The perceptions reflected in this report, offer surprising boldness and
suggest that the situation in which our communities exist is becoming
serious; with high levels of unhappiness about how democracy is being
practised and what it is delivering.
The key findings which emerge from the 2010 Democracy Perception
barometer
are:
• The democratic state has succeeded in removing any uncertainty in the
electorate around the holding of regular and free and fair elections. This
democratic stability should be celebrated. However, although our
respondents consider it important to vote and indicated that they would
continue to do so; our respondents see democracy as much more than just
being able to vote.
Indeed, only 4% our respondents isolated the meaning of democracy to the
ballot. The majority wanted more than a chance to choose where to put
their
crosses every five years.
• In the run up to the 2011 Local Government Elections we are seeing
a lot of unrest based on unhappiness around the processes of appointment
of
candidates. Here we see a different understanding of democratic process,
from the right of a party to appoint their preferred candidates to ordinary,
not necessarily card-carrying members wanting to have a far greater say in
this appointment. This raises questions regarding how a liberal democratic