Less than half believe all in SA have equal rights

DO all South Africans enjoy equal human rights? Less than half of South Africans think so.

That is what Ipsos found in an opinion poll in which they asked South Africans about their experience of human rights.

Questions were put to interviewees who indicated whether they strongly agreed‚ agreed‚ neither agreed nor disagreed‚ disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Only 48% believed all citizens enjoyed equal human rights with just less than one in five saying they strongly agreed.

Just more than one in four South Africans disagreed that everyone enjoyed equals rights while just less than one in four agreed or disagreed.

Ipsos conducted the survey from November 2 to December 7 by conducting 3 447 face-to-face interviews with a representative sample of South Africans 18 years or older.

Ipsos said is was interesting that there was virtually no difference between the experience of men and women.

“Gender issues and gender discrimination are very pertinent issues in our country and the opinions of females and males on many issues differ profoundly,” it said.

The survey found ANC supporters felt the most positive about their experience of human rights, with just over half saying they believed all South Africans enjoyed equality.

Meanwhile, just over four in 10 DA supporters and just under four in 10 EFF supporters agreed.

DA supporters expressed the strongest disagreement with just under four in 10.

The survey found no race group felt strongly about their experience of human rights.

“Black people are the most confident‚ but at only 50% it is not a strong endorsement of the reality experienced by South Africans,” Ipsos said.

“It is worrying that large proportions of the minority population groups express disagreement.

“They probably feel excluded from the promises of the constitution.”

KwaZulu-Natal was the province with the best experience of the country’s human rights, with 65% strongly agreeing.