This according to the Panda People (PP) – consumer insight company Pondering Panda.
PP says in its latest report 2388 respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 were interviewed across South Africa. They were asked whether they thought Zuma was doing a good job as president. The survey, which is conducted at regular intervals, found that the number of young people who approved of his presidency fell from 37% in April to 31% in September.
Young black South Africans were the most likely to approve of the president’s performance, with 35% giving him the thumbs-up. In contrast, only 17% of whites and 13% of coloureds thought he was doing a good job. Zuma lost support amongst blacks and coloureds while his approval rating remained unchanged amongst white South Africans, compared to the April survey.
There were also differences according to province. Respondents from KwaZulu Natal were the most positive, but this was also where Zuma saw the biggest drop in support, from 57% in April to 48% in September. The Free State was the only province where the president’s support grew, from 33% in April to 38% in September.
The Western Cape and Gauteng were the most negative, with only 19% and 23% of respondents feeling that Zuma was doing OK.
Shirley Wakefield, spokesperson for Pondering Panda said, “President Zuma’s support has taken a big hit in the last 5 months, with less than a third of young South Africans now feeling he’s doing a good job of running the country. Since we last asked young people this question, issues like the Gupta wedding scandal, criticism from opposition parties like Agang and the EFF, and the fact that Marikana is still in the news, have all taken their toll. That a majority of young people, across demographic groups feel Zuma isn’t doing a good job shows a significant level of disillusionment with the political process, and appears to be an indictment of his perceived ability as president. With next year’s elections fast approaching, it’s clear that Zuma will need to focus more on appealing to young people if his candidacy is not to have a negative impact on the ANC at the polls.”
