Saleable voters defend vote buying
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday February 5, 2024 06:00
Vote buying is the offer of money, material goods or services to voters by election contestants (political parties or candidates) in exchange for votes.
Some Batswana demand to be offered incentives, such as groceries, money, or t-shirts, in exchange for registering to vote, or vote in elections.
People have become so brazen that they openly tell campaigners that they will only vote if they are given something in return.
To endear themselves to the voters, candidates spend most of their money on gifts and entertainment for the illusive vote. This is a troubling trend, where politicians are essentially buying votes rather than earning them through sound policies and platforms. In the past, voters would carefully consider a candidate’s policy positions and track record to determine who would be the best choice to represent them in government. Now, many voters are more interested in the short-term benefits that a candidate can offer, rather than the long-term impact that their decisions will have on the country. This shift in priorities has led to a decline in the quality of elected officials.
In an interview with Mmegi this week, one of the voters, Kefilwe Keitseope said: “The reason why we demand certain things from politicians is because they only become friendly to us or visit our homes during the campaigns. After being voted into office, politicians do not care about voters hence we make them pay. Some of the politicians even relocate to Gaborone”.
Keitseope also said some Members of Parliament (MPs) are worse than councillors because they have parliamentary housing in Gaborone. He said some of the MPs do not attend to problems in their constituencies nor call kgotla meetings. He said they only go there when President Mokgweetsi Masisi wants to visit their areas. Another voter, Masego Kerapetse said: ”Voters should ask for something in return for their vote, since they are often struggling financially and politicians only seem to care about them during election season”. Kerapetse expressed that she cannot afford to spend her time and energy campaigning for a candidate for free when she has her own family and responsibilities to take care of.
She pointed out that a common pattern in which politicians will visit voters at their homes during election season, but then disappear after the election, is not good.
In addition, she said politicians are taking advantage of people’s trust and using them for votes, without actually caring about their concerns or needs. Therefore, she does not see anything wrong with the community now seeking incentives in return. Furthermore, she said even some of those who sponsor community events only during election season, are in exchange for votes, not out of genuine concern for the people they are supposed to serve. She also questioned why politicians cannot support the community all the time, rather than just during election season.
However, Kealeboga Mphage, said if voters continue with this attitude, then they would not hold politicians accountable since they have realised their weakness.
“Voting allows people to have a voice in who represents them and makes decisions on their behalf. It also gives citizens the power to hold their elected officials accountable and make sure their voices are heard. It’s a crucial part of democracy and gives people a say in the future of their country. So, what can someone do all these things when they are bought by a politician?” Mphage asked.
He also said politicians had become smart on the issue because they had realised that they did not want to be held accountable. Mphage added that some Batswana have not realised that politicians are now getting the only power they have. Mphage said as a voter, he is concerned that saleable voters are killing the democratic process. He said democracy is a system of government where power rests with people, who can choose their representatives through elections, but being a saleable voter forfeits this process. He, further, said the voters would not even have a say on how their country is run. With that regard, he said automatically their rights and freedoms will fall off. For his part, councillor Lotty Manyapetsa said what worries even more about this issue is that it had been introduced by some politicians, especially those who were new to political games.
“When new politicians entered the political arena, they often used money to gain an advantage and build support among the people. Money has become a big part of politics, and it is used to influence people’s opinions and choices, rather than allowing them to make decisions based on the candidate’s policies and track record,” Manyapetsa said.
Additionally, Manyapetsa said the use of money in politics is damaging the very purpose of politics, which is to serve the people and make decisions that benefit them. He worries that money has become more important than policy or the ability to lead and this is harming the democratic process. Manyapetsa said wealthy politicians have an unfair advantage in elections because they can afford to spend more money on their campaigns than those who are not as wealthy. He said it has become hard to find voters who are not influenced by incentives like gifts or money, among other things. Moreover, he said he is worried that the influence of money on politics is going to have a detrimental effect on political parties’ manifestos or their policy platforms. He also raised a concern that wealthy individuals can exert an undue amount of control over the internal workings of political parties, because of their financial resources. He said this could lead to decisions being made on money, rather than on what is best for the country.
Manyapetsa said civil society organisations should play a bigger role in promoting political debates so that politicians are held accountable for their actions and plans. He said without meaningful political debates, the fundamental purpose of politics will be lost.
MP for Maun East, Goretetse Kekgonegile said: “The 2024 voter registration and elections differ with the past elections in many forms. Voter apathy is at its highest for several reasons; other parties have not identified candidates so their sympathisers are not keen to register. Today’s majority voters are millennials with a different attitude and culture who believe in being paid for everything”.
He said as a result, this has worsened the voter tax burden on politicians as the expectation is to be paid in any form to participate in the election process. Kekgonegile, in addition, said the lack of political ideology and education drives amongst some parties has created an attitude of winning through any means. He also said the high demand for incentives kills democracy and scares potential high-quality candidates, which leave people with mediocre representatives. The MP said the poverty levels are high in the country thus creating an attitude of survival through any means or opportunity available.