This article argues that despite a change in government in 1994, there are continuities and parallels between the politics of patronage and political corruption under the apartheid National Party and African National Congress (ANC) governments in South Africa. The paper attempts to demonstrate this argument first by examining how the policies of the National Party promoted patronage and provided an environment for corruption. Secondly it argues that the policies of the ANC government have since 1994 facilitated patronage and encouraged corruption as well. The paper argues that both governments use public resources to promote the positions of their disadvantaged supporters and to build a support base. As well, they engaged in public corruption to serve both political and personal purposes. It concludes that such patronage and corruption have not been confronted effectively as they operate in the interests of consolidating the government.

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