/ 7 December 2004

Survey: Mbeki spends too much time out of SA

South Africans think President Thabo Mbeki spends too much time out of the country, a survey on foreign affairs has found.

The study, conducted by Research Surveys and released on Tuesday, canvassed 2 000 adults from the seven major metropolitan areas in face-to-face interviews in their homes.

On the Zimbabwe question, only 11% of those interviewed felt Robert Mugabe is doing a good job as president of Zimbabwe, compared with 59% who felt Mbeki is doing a good job as president of South Africa.

Although there was some variation in the figure across race groups, Mugabe’s approval rating was ”universally low”.

Fourteen percent of black Africans felt Mugabe is doing a good job (especially males, at 18%), 8% of coloureds thought so, 8% of whites and 4% of Indians.

Only 11% felt Zimbabwe has a positive future with Mugabe in power, with this highest among black Africans at 15% and particularly low among white men at 2%.

Seven out of 10 disagreed that Mugabe is doing a good job and that Zimbabwe has a positive future under him.

A surprisingly high number of people were not sure — one in five in both cases.

Fifty-eight percent felt current policies in Zimbabwe ignore basic human rights.

However, while only 13% disagreed with this view, a high three out of 10 did not know, with differences by population groups high.

Seventy-two percent of whites felt current policies in Zimbabwe ignore basic human rights, 67% of coloureds, 64% of Indians and 53% of blacks.

When asked about South Africa’s role in Zimbabwe, there was ambivalence.

On the question ”Should South Africa be doing more to intervene in policies in Zimbabwe?”, 41% said yes (whites 51%, blacks and coloureds 39% and Indians 33%).

Forty percent said no, and 19% said they did not know.

On the question ”Should South Africa impose sanctions on Zimbabwe?”, 37% said yes (whites 49%, coloureds 47%, Indians 43% and blacks 31%).

Thirty percent said no and 29% said they did not know.

The survey suggests the high proportion of ”don’t knows” means a fair degree of uncertainty over the issue of Zimbabwe.

On the Iraq issue, only 15% of metropolitan adults felt the United States was right to invade Iraq, while 59% disagreed and a quarter were not sure. Whites at 30% (and especially males at 37%) were the most likely to feel the US’s course of action was correct; 21% of coloureds, 18% of Indians and only 9% of blacks felt this way.

People aged 50 and older were also more militant in this regard, with 19% agreeing.

On Israel and the Palestinian question, 26% agreed that South Africa should impose sanctions against Israel, with 36% disagreeing and a ”massive” 38% saying they did not know.

Men were more likely to agree, especially black men at 32%. People aged 50 and older were less likely to agree (19%), while those under the age of 24 were more likely to agree at 29%.

On Mbeki’s role in foreign affairs, 68% of people agreed that the president spends too much time out of the country (coloureds 79%, Indians 75%, whites 73% and blacks 65%).

Fifteen percent disagreed and 17% said they did not know.

Asked if Mbeki devotes too much time to Africa and too little to South Africa, 62% agreed (coloureds and Indians 75%, whites 70% and blacks 57%).

Nineteen percent disagreed and 19% said they did not know. — Sapa