Ground Work Collective launches its independent election observer programme

Ground Work Collective (GWC) has launched its volunteer registration drive, where the organisation is inviting volunteers to be part of its election observer programme.

The organisation believes it will be impossible for any single organisation to cover the country’s 23,000 polling stations, which has resulted in its initiative to call on voluntary participants for this programme.

The flagship drive of this initiative took place in the 2024 elections and it attracted just more than 3,000 citizens — a figure GWC is hoping to more than double, with a target of 7,000 participants for the 2026 upcoming local government elections.

Those selected are expected to receive comprehensive training in preparation for election day, which will include knowledge and practical skills to equip volunteers to observe the elections professionally, impartially and in accordance with the country’s electoral law.

Founder Mbali Ntuli said there would be particular attention given to 946 priority wards identified through electoral analysis as highly competitive “red zones”.

We want to give back in certain ways but politically that has not been quite clear outside of joining a political party

—  Mbali Ntuli, Groundwork Collective founder

“These are wards where previous election results were decided by exceptionally small margins or where multiple political parties are expected to compete closely. In these areas, every vote and every aspect of the voting and counting process can have a significant impact on the final outcome,” she said.

Despite a decline in voter participation, Ntuli maintained there is a sense that South Africans are still patriotic and that they want to be involved in the country.

“We want to give back in certain ways but politically that has not been quite clear outside of joining a political party. For us, it has been about making sure that people understand how they can actually be a part of making sure that they can build the country that they want to see and not have to wait for political parties or have those parties act with impunity.”

GWC board member Warwick Chapman said the organisation believes democracy cannot be reduced to a single day at the ballot box, but rather that it has to be lived every day.

This, according to Chapman, could only be achieved through active citizenship, informed participation, accountable leadership and communities that work together to solve problems between elections.

“While civic participation and democratic engagement have become some of GWC’s most recognised areas of work, our vision has always been broader. We work alongside communities to strengthen resilience, improve livelihoods and create opportunities for people to become active participants in shaping the future of our country,” he said.

This campaign is about cultivating a long-lived culture of civic responsibility, encouraging citizens to hold institutions accountable and rebuilding the trust that is essential for any healthy democracy to thrive

—  Warwick Chapman, Groundwork Collective board member

Chapman said they do this by supporting civic education, promoting election integrity, strengthening local leadership or partnering with communities on practical development initiatives.

“Our focus is exactly that: empowering people to be agents of change rather than spectators to it. Today’s launch is an important milestone in that journey. Protect Our Democracy is one of our flagship initiatives because it speaks directly to the responsibility that we all share in safeguarding the institutions and values that underpin our very special constitutional democracy.”

Independent election observation is an important part of this work, he said.

“This campaign is about cultivating a long-lived culture of civic responsibility, encouraging citizens to hold institutions accountable and rebuilding the trust that is essential for any healthy democracy to thrive.”

This was visible through the 1.3-million registrations, which indicated a growth of the voter’s roll, added Chapman.

“That represents the recovery of the voter’s roll which has been declining for several voter cycles now. None of this work we’re doing happens in isolation.”

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