IRR Webinar: Electoral reform - Time to do it properly

The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) will tomorrow host a webinar laying out proposals for electoral reform in South Africa.

The webinar, to be hosted by IRR analysts Marius Roodt and Terence Corrigan, will propose a new electoral system for South Africa.

It also provides polling data on South Africans’ views on electoral reform and how they would like to elect their representatives. The report also models various outcomes for South African elections using differing electoral systems, and how seat allocations would differ, depending on the electoral system used.

Says Roodt, the author of the report: “The report aims to be an important contribution in the current debate around electoral reform. The Electoral Reform Consultation Panel is due to submit its findings at the end of August and it is vital that this current opportunity to reform the South African electoral system is not missed.

“While our current system ensures that the make-up of our various legislatures closely reflects parties’ overall support levels, the fact that MPs are not elected from coherent geographical constituencies has hampered responsiveness and accountability from our various elected representatives.

“South Africa needs some sort of mixed system, which retains the proportional representation element of our electoral system, while ensuring that at least some of our MPs and MPLs are elected from geographical constituencies.

“While this will not be a silver bullet, it will go some way to enhancing accountability in the South African electoral system.”

The IRR report proposes a number of solutions for the current democratic malaise in South Africa, and what can be done to ensure that responsiveness and accountability are key elements of any electoral reform.

However, Roodt warns that this will not be a panacea to fixing South African democracy.

“At the end of the day it is up to South Africans to ensure that they vote for parties and politicians who take their responsibilities seriously and have the interests of the country at heart,” he says.

Details of the webinar are:

Date: Tuesday 22 July 2025

Time: 10:00

Speakers:

Marius Roodt, IRR Head of Campaigns

Terence Corrigan, IRR Projects and Publications Manager

Register: https://streamyard.com/watch/9jzRkEMEZegq

Media contact: Marius Roodt, IRR Head of Campaigns Tel: 082 779 7035 Email: marius@irr.org.za

Media enquiries: Michael Morris Tel: 066 302 1968 Email: michael@irr.org.za