Zuma's approval rating falls

President Jacob Zuma's approval rating has plummeted to 43 percent compared with 58 percent in December 2009, and 75 percent in November 2009.

A survey of 2 000 urban adults in the major metropolitan areas by research company TNS puts his approval rating in the first quarter of 2010 at levels last seen before last year's election. The survey was conducted in February, in the week of revelations that Zuma had fathered a child with Irvin Khoza's daughter Sonono. "This is against the backdrop of various issues that have surrounded his personal life - the multiple wives and the revelations of his love child - the continuing stalemate in Zimbabwe and growing service delivery protests," TNS said.

Zuma's approval rating among blacks fell from 75 percent in November to 58 percent in February, with 27 percent of blacks disapproving of him and 15 percent undecided. Among whites, his approval rating is 17 percent, with 64 percent disapproving and 19 percent undecided. Sixty-six percent of coloureds and 65 percent of Indians do not approve of Zuma.

His popularity has taken a knock in a number of metropolitan areas. In Joburg and surrounding areas, Zuma's approval rating has gone down from 64 to 50 percent. In Soweto, it has decreased from 70 to 50 percent, while in Pretoria only 35 percent approve of him, down from 61 percent in November. His rating among all Gauteng residents stands at 47 percent, down from 64 percent. Only 23 percent of those in Cape Town approve of Zuma, down from 35 percent. His approval rating has also taken a nosedive in Durban, where only 49 percent now approve of him, down from 61 percent.

Younger people were more accepting of Zuma, with 45 percent of those under 34 saying he is doing a good job. But his rating among over-50s has declined from 63 percent to only 32 percent.

Source: IoL