Patronage Politics Divides Us

Patronage Politics Divides Us: A Study of Poverty, Patronage and Inequality in South Africa
explores the relationship between patronage, poverty, and inequality
with a particular focus on its impact on the conduct of local politics.
The overall aim of the study was to explore the possibility of
constituting public institutions in a manner that enables them to become
legitimate arbiters between the various interests, rather than as
instruments that are captured by contending interest groups for their
own accumulation. Most importantly, this study was necessitated by the
realisation that post-apartheid patronage politics has not received
sufficient scholarly attention. This research study aims to help fill
that gap, especially by contributing empirical research to the subject.
The report goes beyond answering the primary questions of the study: it
is a profile of socio economic life in South Africa’s various
communities as experienced not only by locals, but also by foreign-born
residents. The findings provide a window on relationships between
councillors, business interests, and local party organisations.