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Politics is seen as a self-enriching vehicle: Analyst

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A political analyst says access to public resources is partly to blame for many political parties contesting elections in South Africa.

The national ballot paper, the largest yet, hosted 48 political parties.

Only 14 political parties made it to the National Assembly.

Political analyst, Professor Lesiba Tefo, says hundreds of thousands of votes were wasted by voting for parties which didn’t make it.

He says politics is seen as a vehicle for self-enrichment, a way of acquiring a job.

He says they think: “When I get there I can access resources and then exercise the patronage, nepotism, cronyism at the expense of those I purport to represent. That is the greatest thing for Africa.”

“Most of them knew they wouldn’t go far enough. So I’m saying we have a duty and the IEC has a duty. Voter education is necessary, people must appreciate that voting for the father or my cousin’s party that can get 1 000 or 3 000 votes is almost a futile exercise because you will not go further and those votes would be wasted.”

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