A day after the official opposition Democratic Alliance gave President Thabo Mbeki a ”D” in its ”report card”, a national survey suggested that 2004 had in fact been the president’s personal best, with an average of 58%.
The results were contained in a statement on Tuesday by Research Surveys, conducted amongst a sample of 2 000 adults from major metropolitan areas.
The respondents were asked whether Mbeki was doing a good job.
According to Research Surveys, for three years — 2000 to 2002 — the president’s approval rating was generally in the low 30s.
However, since February 2003, the percentage of people who felt Mbeki was doing a good job started to rise, and by the end of 2003, it was in the low 40s.
”This year has seen a remarkable rise. In February 2004, 47% felt that the president was doing a good job. This rose to 55% in April, and to 66% in July. Since then, it has fallen a little, to 62% in August and to 59% in October,” read the statement.
Mbeki ended the year 12 points above where he started, and an ”impressive” 32 points up on his lowest figure of 27%, in February 2002.
If non-metropolitan areas were included, his approval ratings increased to 68% (August 2004), up from 46% in 2003.
Mbeki’s popularity has increased among all sectors of the population, with black Africans recording 81% in July and August 2004 (dropping to 74% in December), well-up on the figure of 40% in October 2000 and the lowest figure of 35%, in February 2002.
Among whites, 33% approved of the president in July 2004 (dropping to 25% in December), well up from the 12% in October 2000 and the low of nine percent in February 2001.
”What is interesting about the white population is the high proportion of people saying ‘don’t know’: it averages one person in five, and is particularly high for white females where, generally, between a quarter and a third of people say ‘don’t know”’.
In July 2004, 55% of coloureds approved of the way the president was doing his job (dropping to 37% in December), up from 31% in October 2000 and the all-time low of 17% in February 2002 and October 2002.
The figure among Indians reached 33% in July 2004 (30% in December), up from 16% in October 2000 and the low of 11% recorded in April 2001.
Research Surveys said a number of factors have contributed to the impressive rise, with South Africa experiencing an unprecedented wave of optimism, pride in the country and feeling of wellbeing, particularly since March.
”This is, no doubt, influenced by the falling inflation rates, reductions in the interest rate, the strength of the economy, the successful elections and the whole run-up to the elections with the Ten Years’ of democracy celebrations, the president’s very powerful service delivery inauguration speech, winning the 2010 soccer World Cup, the success of our athletes in Athens and our Tri-Nations
win.” – Sapa