Support for ANC breakaway

2008-09-26 14:48

Cape Town - Almost a quarter of black people polled in a phone survey this week support the formation of a breakaway party from the African National Congress, research company TNS said on Friday.

Just over half the whites questioned thought it was a good idea, with support dropping to 43% among coloureds, 19% among Indians and 22% among blacks.

"Whilst [overall] support for a breakaway party from the ANC is in the minority, nonetheless, it is significant," TNS said.

"That 22% of the black sample feel it is a good idea is notable."

The survey was conducted among 250 people in the major metropolitan areas with access to landlines.

Zuma should stand trial

Other findings were that three quarters of the people polled, including 58% of blacks, still believed ANC president Jacob Zuma should stand trial for corruption.

And while 70% of respondents thought Thabo Mbeki did a good job as president of the country, 41% believed he should also be charged with corruption.

TNS said the 70% approval figure for Mbeki represented a feeling among all races that he had left a significant legacy, despite his approval ratings having fallen over the past few years.

Less than a third of the sample thought Zuma was doing a good job as president of the ANC, while 43% thought Kgalema Motlanthe was doing well as his deputy.

However, TNS said, of importance was that 26% of respondents said they did not know whether Zuma was doing a good job, a figure that rose to 40% for Motlanthe.

'Wait-and-see stance'

This showed many people were adopting a "wait-and-see stance".

"Nonetheless, at present, Mr Motlanthe has a somewhat wider support base than Mr Zuma," TNS said.

Most people felt - and here there were no differences by race - that Mbeki should not have been axed by the ANC in the way he was.

But just under two thirds said they were positive about South Africa and its future.

- SAPA