December 13, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in South Africa hold differing views on how Thabo Mbeki has handled his government, according to a poll by Research Surveys. 43 per cent of respondents think their president has done a good job, while 45 per cent deem it bad.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in South Africa hold differing views on how Thabo Mbeki has handled his government, according to a poll by Research Surveys. 43 per cent of respondents think their president has done a good job, while 45 per cent deem it bad.

 

Mbeki replaced Nelson Mandela as South Africa’s president after the 1999 general election, where the African National Council (ANC) received 66.4 per cent of the vote. Mbeki led the ANC to a second majority government in April 2004, with 69.68 per cent of all cast ballots and 279 lawmakers in the 400-seat National Assembly.

In June 2005, Mbeki appointed minerals and energy minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as South Africa’s deputy-president. Mlambo-Ngcuka is the first woman to hold the position.

Following this month’s Europe-Africa summit in Portugal, Mbeki referred to Africa’s ability to enhance intercontinental trade relations, saying, "The Europeans have understood they need a partnership. We say to them, whenever you are ready, we are ready."

The ANC will hold its congress from Dec. 16 to Dec. 20. Mbeki will face a leadership challenge from current ANC deputy-president Jacob Zuma.

Zuma served as the country’s deputy president from 1999 to 2005. In May 2006, Zuma was acquitted of a rape charge in a Johannesburg high court. Zuma claims he had a consensual sexual relationship with the 31-year-old daughter of a friend, and alleged he was "seduced" by the way the woman was wearing her clothes. Zuma eventually resumed his duties as deputy-president of the ANC.

Polling Data

Would you say Thabo Mbeki is doing a good job, or a bad job?

	Nov. 2007	Sept. 2007	Jun. 2007
Good job	43%	40%	54%
Bad job	45%	48%	36%
Don’t know	12%	12%	12%

Source: Research Surveys
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 2,000 South African adults in seven major metropolitan areas, conducted in November 2007. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.