Mbeki’s ratings plummet

JOHANNESBURG – Thabo Mbeki’s approval rating as president of South Africa has dropped since the beginning of the year, according to a TNS Research Survey released yesterday.

Researchers also found that ANC president Jacob Zuma’s approval ratings had not seen a significant overall rise since they started measuring his ratings as party president in February. The company conducted the two surveys among 2 000 people living in metropolitan areas to gauge the approval rating for the two in their different leadership capacities.They have conducted approval ratings for Mbeki for a number of years and found that the latest reading, taken in June 2008, showed a decline from 37 per cent in April, to 32 per cent in June.In 2005 Mbeki’s approval score averaged 61 per cent, with a high of 66 per cent in April 2005.It dropped to 54 per cent by the end of that year but hovered around that level until June 2007.In September 2007 there was a drop of 14 per cent points to 40 per cent, his lowest since April 2003.His approval average for 2007 was noted as 48 per cent.The approval rating among black respondents came in at 43 per cent (down from 65 per cent for the same period in 2007), whites 10 per cent, (34 per cent in June 2007) coloureds 15 per cent (33 per cent in June 2007) and Indians and Asians nine per cent (43 per cent in June 2007).By black language groups, researchers found that his approval ratings were highest among isiXhosa speakers at 57 per cent, and lowest among isiZulu speakers at 37 per cent.The company said analysis by area showed that in June 2008 approval for Mbeki in the Eastern Cape was 49 per cent, with 76 per cent in East London and 37 per cent in Port Elizabeth.It was lowest in Durban at 18 per cent, and Cape Town at 21 per cent.His approval rating in Gauteng was 36 per cent.For Johannesburg, excluding Soweto, it was 36 per cent, Soweto 30 per cent, East Rand 36 per cent, West Rand 33 per cent, and Vaal/South Rand 48 per cent.Pretoria was 37 per cent and Bloemfontein was 65 per cent.Nampa-SapaThe company conducted the two surveys among 2 000 people living in metropolitan areas to gauge the approval rating for the two in their different leadership capacities.They have conducted approval ratings for Mbeki for a number of years and found that the latest reading, taken in June 2008, showed a decline from 37 per cent in April, to 32 per cent in June.In 2005 Mbeki’s approval score averaged 61 per cent, with a high of 66 per cent in April 2005.It dropped to 54 per cent by the end of that year but hovered around that level until June 2007.In September 2007 there was a drop of 14 per cent points to 40 per cent, his lowest since April 2003.His approval average for 2007 was noted as 48 per cent.The approval rating among black respondents came in at 43 per cent (down from 65 per cent for the same period in 2007), whites 10 per cent, (34 per cent in June 2007) coloureds 15 per cent (33 per cent in June 2007) and Indians and Asians nine per cent (43 per cent in June 2007).By black language groups, researchers found that his approval ratings were highest among isiXhosa speakers at 57 per cent, and lowest among isiZulu speakers at 37 per cent.The company said analysis by area showed that in June 2008 approval for Mbeki in the Eastern Cape was 49 per cent, with 76 per cent in East London and 37 per cent in Port Elizabeth.It was lowest in Durban at 18 per cent, and Cape Town at 21 per cent.His approval rating in Gauteng was 36 per cent.For Johannesburg, excluding Soweto, it was 36 per cent, Soweto 30 per cent, East Rand 36 per cent, West Rand 33 per cent, and Vaal/South Rand 48 per cent.Pretoria was 37 per cent and Bloemfontein was 65 per cent.Nampa-Sapa