Cyril must take a hike, shows readers’ poll, while alternative survey highlights president’s likeability

From your questions and comments in a Daily Maverick readers’ survey, it’s clear that the cost of living, crime, corruption and unemployment are taking a toll. The government doesn’t govern well and our national infrastructure collapses are visceral.

A separate baseline survey commissioned by one of the countries newest parties, Change Starts Now, and released this week, shows that Ramaphosa is still South Africa’s most positively regarded politician by a country mile.

Granted, his likeability has come down from the highs when he took office in 2018 to a positivity rating of 54% but that's still 24 percentage points higher than official opposition leader John Steenhuisen.  EFF leader Julius Malema has the second highest positivity rating but more people regarded him negatively.



Suppose the ANC gets between 48% and 51% in the national election later this year – it will do so only because Ramaphosa has a much higher likeability factor than the governing party. On Wednesday, ahead of Sona, he was dancing to Tyla’s Grammy-winning hit, Water.

The Presidency has released a 24-page audit of what he has done well in the previous five years. Here are some of the hits, misses and claims of easy victories.

Hits

• Regulations have been changed to allow municipalities to procure power independently.


• 5,000 MW of rooftop solar has been installed – a factor in lower levels of load shedding (the Presidency attributes this to incentives for households and businesses).


• 2,000 MW of solar and wind has been connected to the grid.


• The lifting of the power production licensing cap means there is 12,000 MW expected over the short to medium term (it’s a lot).


• HIV/Aids treatment has been successful – 79% of people living with Aids get treatment; HIV infections have declined substantively (73% fewer among adolescent males, 60% fewer among adolescent females).


• Conviction rates are going up: 91% in the high court, 82% in regional courts, 95% in district courts, and there is a 95% conviction rate in femicide prosecutions.


• For women who have been raped or abused, there are now eight Thuthuzela Care Centres, 83 sexual offender courts and 1,159 victim-friendly rooms at police stations.


• Ramaphosa is now SA’s most significant employer – presidential employment schemes for young and indigent people put 2.7 million people into work opportunities (this could also fall under misses).


• Government closed 60,000 illegal liquor outlets.


• The criminal asset recovery fund took receipt of R5.4-billion in recovered and returned loot.


• The Asset Forfeiture Unit has frozen assets to the value of R14-billion pending investigation and prosecution.


• Government will fund 30,000 “missing middle” university students who fall outside the NSFAS household income limits.


• Blue, Green and No Drop water reports were published for the first time since 2014.


• Eskom finally has an independent National Transmission Company – necessary because grid expansion is urgently needed to get the 12,000 MW from power plants to homes and businesses.


• The African Continental Free Trade Area is sailing.

Misses (not in the Presidency audit)

• Load shedding was at its worst ever in 2023.


• Rail logistics crashed as Transnet hit a wall.


• Crime and organised crime hit new highs as mafia syndicates captured more ground.


• Unemployment remained stubbornly high.


• Consumer and business confidence tanked.


• Interest rates are at the highest in years, while GDP growth is stagnant.


• Critical skills lists and work visas for people the economy needs are stuck in inertia (the Presidency calls this a hit, but that is not true).


• Not a single State Capture case has been successfully prosecuted, and the governing party is prevaricating on disciplining its cadres named by the Zondo Commission.


• Has not made abuse of political office a criminal offence as recommended by the State Capture Commission.

Hits or misses (depending on where you stand)

• Minimum wage introduced.


• NHI patient registration installed at 3,200 facilities.


• Just Transition Investment Plan – a multi-billion EU/US-funded programme to wean SA off coal – way off track as SA stakes its immediate energy future on old king coal.


• R230-billion in infrastructure projects at various stages – we put it here because rollout is slow and often dogged by special interests. DM