Why do poor people vote?
Do poor people in South Africa vote for food parcels?
Apparently not.
WIT'S University Research shows that most people understand clearly that government grants and aid such food parcels are their constitutional rights from any government in power.
Most people tested under formal test conditions in which the same questions are asked in different formats several times, said that their political choices are clear and not dependent on food parcels or grants.
They also indicated their political choices.
Prof Leila Patel, Johannesburg University, conducted the research.
**About a 1/3 of the test group indicated that they are afraid that they might risk their grants by their political choices.
**This reminds me of the historically arbitrary way in which social workers could give or cancel grants and food aid at will causing dependency from the recipients on them and their power. There will still be hangovers of this in communities.
Nevertheless, the people are insightful into this matter with regards to their rights and the responsibilities of the government in power.
Most grant recipients spend their grants on food and those that could possibly work are job seekers.
Grant recipients also distinguished between their right to receive grants and food aid and political tactics to disburse food parcels at election time specifically for voting purposes.
They said that they are aware of these tactics but only 30%+ were concerned that their political choices might negatively impact their grants. Fortunately their actual votes are secret. A little electoral and constitutional education would sort out this little uncertainty.
On the whole I8 feel vindicated because I have always maintained that the people are not stupid and do not vote for food parcels.
They will take your food parcels and any other useful thing that you want to give them, but they will vote as hey choose.
I saw this in 1994 when the ANC lost to the NP in the Western Cape and in subsequent elections
Apparently not.
WIT'S University Research shows that most people understand clearly that government grants and aid such food parcels are their constitutional rights from any government in power.
Most people tested under formal test conditions in which the same questions are asked in different formats several times, said that their political choices are clear and not dependent on food parcels or grants.
They also indicated their political choices.
Prof Leila Patel, Johannesburg University, conducted the research.
**About a 1/3 of the test group indicated that they are afraid that they might risk their grants by their political choices.
**This reminds me of the historically arbitrary way in which social workers could give or cancel grants and food aid at will causing dependency from the recipients on them and their power. There will still be hangovers of this in communities.
Nevertheless, the people are insightful into this matter with regards to their rights and the responsibilities of the government in power.
Most grant recipients spend their grants on food and those that could possibly work are job seekers.
Grant recipients also distinguished between their right to receive grants and food aid and political tactics to disburse food parcels at election time specifically for voting purposes.
They said that they are aware of these tactics but only 30%+ were concerned that their political choices might negatively impact their grants. Fortunately their actual votes are secret. A little electoral and constitutional education would sort out this little uncertainty.
On the whole I8 feel vindicated because I have always maintained that the people are not stupid and do not vote for food parcels.
They will take your food parcels and any other useful thing that you want to give them, but they will vote as hey choose.
I saw this in 1994 when the ANC lost to the NP in the Western Cape and in subsequent elections