8% of voters targeted with bribes in 2016 polls – survey

T-SHIRTS, a meal or even the promise of a post-election job – all are the currency of the corrupt and are used to buy votes.

Researchers believe this solves the riddle as to why voters vote for corrupt politicians.

Researchers from the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark suggest that while South African voters want to punish corrupt candidates, they are more forgiving when those politicians offer certain benefits in return for their vote.

Their research was based on surveys that asked respondents about voting in the 2016 municipal elections.

What they found was that 8% of the voter population in South Africa were targeted with bribes in the 2016 municipal elections.

Now, as South Africa heads towards a general election early next month, the concern is that vote buying will happen again. Already there is possible evidence. Last week the DA filed a complaint that controversial ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule handed over cash while campaigning door-todoor in Cape Town.

Magashule was seen giving a woman R400. He told journalists at the time that the handout was not buying votes, simply helping the poor.

The complaint was filed with the Independent Electoral Commission.

This exchange of goods and services for political support is known as clientelism and the Danish researchers were surprised to find that South Africa with its strong democracy, secret ballot and fair elections, suffered from this problem.