Municipal election systems and their implications for ethical and accountable democratic governance at eThekwini Municipality

Background: The electoral systems adopted for local government offer the citizens the democratic opportunity to elect their representatives through a proportional representative system and constituency electoral system. Aim: This article aims to analyse the democratic electoral systems and their implications for ethical and accountable democratic governance within the context of South African local government. Methods: The article used eThekwini Municipality as a case study to demonstrate the importance of the electoral democratic system in fostering democratic ethical and accountable democratic governance in South Africa. Secondary information cited from books, book chapters, accredited journals and government policy documents were used with Google Scholar and ResearchGate as the research engines. Results: While the proportional representation system has been criticised for distancing people from making decisions at the local governance level, the adoption of both PRS and constituency-based electoral systems allows local voters to balance the representative and participatory governance at the local government level. The article found that, unlike the proportional representation system (PRS), the constituency-based system has the potential for people not only to elect their representatives directly but also to hold them accountable. Conclusion: It is imperative for people to develop a culture of participation in local government structures in order to influence decisions affecting them. Contribution: The article critically analyses electoral systems in the quest for advocating the electoral system(s) where the voters can activate their democratic power to hold politicians accountable. It is through active participation and representation of voters in local government and community structures that the weaknesses of the proportional representations (PRs) could be addressed.