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Large majorities of South Africans believe that their communities are taking over the duties of the government.

This is according to polling conducted by the Social Research Foundation (SRF), in conjunction with The Common Sense, in September and October.

Voters were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “In my community, people are increasingly taking on the responsibilities of government because it has failed to deliver. Things like basic services (the condition of roads or water provision and electricity) and fighting crime (private security and community forums) are increasingly done by my community as a response to the neglect.”

The chart below shows the proportion of all voters, black, coloured, and white, and African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) supporters, who agree or disagree that their local community has taken over the responsibilities of the government.

It shows views from SRF and The Common Sense polling from a round in July and another in September and October.

Across all race and political party categories, vast majorities of voters believe that their local community is taking over the responsibilities of the government.

For most groups, the proportion who believed that their community was taking over the government’s responsibilities increased between the July round of polling and the September and October polling.

The findings show that communities across the country are not waiting for the state to restore services, but are increasingly taking responsibility for maintaining their neighbourhoods, securing their homes, and keeping essential infrastructure functioning. That this view is shared across racial and political divides suggests that the trend is a national phenomenon rather than one confined to particular communities. It is also evidence of the process of enclavisation, whereby communities, businesses, and private organisations increasingly assume functions once performed by the state, allowing pockets of order, security, and prosperity, to endure despite the deterioration of the capacity of the state.