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Photo: President Jacob Zuma celebrating his 70th birthday

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President Jacob Zuma’s approval rating fell to 46% in April, from a 55% high in February, TNS South Africa said on Monday.

“It was at this time that the e-tolling saga was at its height (but before the judgment on the interdict), concerns about the re-instatement of Lt-Gen Richard Mdluli were growing and the [ANC Youth League president Julius] Malema suspension was finalised,” researcher Neil Higgs said in a statement.

After a volatile 2010, the figures, based on surveys of 2000 adults living in seven metropolitan areas in South Africa, were more stable in 2011, averaging 48%.

After a rise to 55% in February, the figure then dropped to 46% in mid-April.

The figures also show that the proportion of people giving a “don’t know” response dropped to more usual levels after being high since 2009.

“People are coming to a more definite view of the president after a long period where many people were not sure about him. These previously uncertain people are shifting to the negative category.” 

Overall, the president’s approval levels are best in Gauteng (except Pretoria), and poorest in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

People aged 18 to 34 are the most positive at 51 percent (unchanged over the past four readings).

Those aged 60 and more are the least positive at 30% (down from the 40% of November 2011 and February 2012).

In terms of language group, the most positive are those whose home language is isiZulu at 67% (unchanged over the past four readings).

Women are somewhat more positive than men (49% compared with 43 percent).

• Approval ratings for Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe are slightly higher than Zuma’s, at 49% for April.

Blacks in metropolitan areas shifted more positively towards him since the end of 2011, but other race groups have become slightly more negative.

Younger people are more positive, with 53% approval for Motlanthe amongst those aged 18 to 34, compared with 39 percent amongst those over 50.

Amongst black language speakers, those whose home language is isiXhosa are the least positive at 59%. Other language groups average 69%.

• According to TNS, the only major difference between their rating occurs in Soweto, Pretoria and East London.

In Soweto, Motlanthe’s approval rating is 68%, compared with Zuma’s 50 percent; in Pretoria Motlanthe’s is 58% and Zuma’s 39%. In East London Motlanthe scored 64% to Zuma’s 48%.

Motlanthe’s overall approval rating for October/November 2011 was 47%. Zuma’s was 48.

Motlanthe’s approval rating in November 2008, shortly after he was installed as president, was 36%.

Malema was expelled from the ANC last month for a range of party-related conduct infractions. Mdluli was last week removed from his post as police intelligence head in the midst of controversy over withdrawn charges of murder and corruption. He will be shifted to another position in the police.

Comments

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Thu Jun 20 08:49:33 SAST 2013 ::

May 14, 2012

MsKinkyakaKamaSutra

I dont flippin care whether he is rated or not.........
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May 14, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

when it comes to voting and politics of this country this rating thing is completly irrelevant politics of individuals are foreign in this country!!!
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May 14, 2012

1tsotsi

No right thinking man has confidence lately in zuma, only people like dandan have for reasons we all know. He is the worse of them all, even Idi Amin was better.
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May 14, 2012

truthhurt

After 16 marriages, e-toll drama, and bad appointments he gets 47% that is way tooo high those figures dont tally, where was this done, KZN?
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May 14, 2012

CheeseBoy

until South Africans are given the choice to vote directly for the country's president this rubbish we call democraZy is just crap. We have been hijacked by a political party that had so much hatred for Mbeki they voted a fool into power. And now the whole country must suffer because of this.
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May 14, 2012

DeCock01

Says a lot about SA women...they love the 'mshini' way too much...
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May 14, 2012

Xovizwe

Just that because these silly ratings were made in WC and GP doesn't mean other provinces don't have a say. Come to FS, Mpumalanga and KZN, Zuma will get more than 90% approval.

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May 14, 2012

MommaC

94.3% of all statistics are sucked out of someone's thumb.
Are these the same ones who had Cope getting 40% in the last elections?

I have no idea where they found 900 people who approved of him !
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May 14, 2012

DeCock01

What SA women want in a man/partner and president:

1) must be accused of r@pe
2) be polygamous
3) accused of numerous criminal offenses
4) have many many many kids (not less than 20)...preferably out of wedlock
5) have a showerhe@d
6) practise skin on skin
7) give taxi money after....
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May 14, 2012

Decibels

hey mara abafazi...........
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