A study conducted by consumer insights company Pondering Panda found that well over 2,000 respondents between the ages of 18 and 49 across South said Zuma was not doing a good job of running the country. The survey found that 38% of South Africans believed Zuma was doing a good job as president. In comparison, 56% felt he was not doing a good job, and 7% were unsure.
Zuma’s approval rating was lower among younger respondents, with 34% of 18 to 24 year olds feeling he was doing a good job as president, compared to 57% of 45 to 49 year olds. There were no significant differences among gender or race groups.
By region, KwaZulu-Natal was the only province where respondents were more likely to approve of Zuma’s leadership than disapprove of it. 48% of KZN respondents felt he was doing a good as president, compared to 44% who did not think so. In comparison, only 40% of Gauteng respondents approved of Zuma’s presidency, and this number fell even further in the Western Cape, where just 22% of adults gave Zuma the thumbs-up.
Shirley Eadie, spokesperson for Pondering Panda said, “It’s no surprise that support for Zuma’s presidency is so low. He is still dogged by the Nkandla scandal, and his response to the Public Protector’s report hasn’t inspired confidence that the issue is being addressed the way the public believes it should be. Add to that ongoing disruption in parliament, and Zuma has a long way to go if he is to win back support. It’s also clear that younger adults are less tolerant of Zuma. His appeal amongst young people remains low, which could spell trouble for future elections.”
