Zuma's pre-scandal ratings at all time high

A survey conducted in November 2009 found most South Africans believed President Jacob Zuma was doing a good job.

But the Ipsos Markinor poll, released on Wednesday, could not take into account the battering Zuma’s public image has taken since then—after her married a third wife and fathered a child out of wedlock.

The president’s personal life has since come under intense media and public scrutiny, with calls from opposition parties that he step down and insider reports that he won’t see a second term on office.

The scandals may have cost the president dearly, given the popularity he had achieved at the time of the poll.

It shows that 77% of South Africans in November 2009 felt Zuma was doing his job well and 70% felt the government as a whole was performing well.

PR scandal
“This is the highest rating for a president since May 2006 and will more than likely shore up his credentials in the light of the tough public relations press he is currently receiving about his personal life,” researchers noted.

“Only time will tell whether the current public relations scandal will somewhat erode this high measure of support or have little or no effect at all.”

However the public fury that greeted the news that Zuma fathered another child out of wedlock indicated that the tide of what once seemed unstoppable support for the president may have reached its limit, the Mail & Guardian reported this month.

• Read our report: “Anger at ‘big daddy’ Zuma grows”

The poll consisted of 3374 people and has a margin of error of between 0.7 and 1.7%.

The study found that while Zuma’s personal life was the “constant focus of the media”, the South African public was “clearly positive” about his performance at work.

Marked improvement
Zuma’s rating in November was an improvement from April, after he was elected, when only 50% of South Africans felt he was doing well.

The latest survey found that 56% of South Africans felt the country was headed in the right direction in November 2009, compared to 38% in November 2008.

“Government is credited with improving performance on implementing affirmative action and ending political violence,” said researchers.

“This optimism exists despite the feeling that government has made little or no progress on reducing the crime rate, fighting corruption and creating jobs.”—Sapa and the M&G.

• Read our report on Jacob Zuma’s first 100 days in office .