Poverty risk factors in post-apartheid South African semi-rural community: Indicators of unfulfilled democratic election promises

Abstract

Democratic elections come with promises by politicians but the extent to which electorates’ livelihood is improved after elections leaves much to answer. Against the above background, this study sought to investigate the leading risk factors of rural poverty and its challenges in Ngolo location, a semi-rural community near Mthatha and to establish the possible solutions to the situation. The study was foregrounded by Subculture of Poverty Theory propounded by Oscar Lewis. Survey Questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 60 respondents drawn from a target population of household heads in the community. A complement of Chi-square test, Linear Regression and Factor Analysis were utilized in the data analysis. The study found that poverty risk in Ngolo community is collectively and positively explained by household members’ infection by HIV, lack of good motor ways for transportation of goods, municipal officials’ embezzlement of funds by politicians, lack of education by some family members, and lack of high qualification by family members. The study also revealed poverty risk perception in the community as a function of male headed households, lower age of household heads, fewer members in a household, higher educational level households and households with higher income. Access to clean water, insufficient food and children dropping out of school were reported as the main challenging social needs, challenging difficulties and negative effects of poverty. Strategies which seek to eradicate corruption within the municipal officials and community members’ voting for reliable political parties were endorsed as means towards eradicating poverty in the community.

Keywords: Risk Factors, Poverty, Community, Semi-Rural, Elections, South Africa