54% of SA citizens not confident in future of ANC

More than half of South Africans (54%) believe the future of the ANC is murky due to leadership issues and rifts in the ruling party‚ according to an Ipsos poll published on Friday.

This is despite the ANC having a 60% majority in parliament.

“As can be expected‚ larger proportions of supporters of the main opposition parties (DA and EFF) agree that the ANC has an uncertain future‚ but it is interesting to note that more than half (52%) of ANC supporters also agree.”

Ipsos conducted its Pulse of the People poll from April 20 to June 7 this year by randomly selecting and interviewing 3‚619 South Africans.

One in five South Africans (20%) is confident about the future of the ANC.

The first half of 2018 has been bumpy for President Cyril Ramaphosa with the poor performance of the rand‚ slow economic growth‚ policy uncertainty and rifts in the ANC.

“During Ramaphosa’s time as deputy president, he consistently outperformed then president Zuma‚ and since becoming president of SA in February, South Africans rate him very highly. This is exceptional against the background of the general uncertainty in the country and the uncertainty expressed about the ANC’s future.”

Ramaphosa enjoys support from across the country‚ but less from the Western and Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

“In Mpumalanga‚ the president scores 8.5 out of 10 while David Mabuza‚ who originates from this province‚ receives a score of 6.1 out of 10.”

In the Western Cape‚ DA leader Mmusi Maimane is closest to Ramaphosa in the support stakes.

“It is natural that both Mmusi Maimane and Julius Malema enjoy strong support from their own parties‚ but not so from other political parties.”

Ipsos said gender equality has some way to go in SA. Half of men (49%) and four in every 10 women (41%) believe that men make better political leaders than women do.