Abstract
The findings of the latest Markinor opinion poll on government performance indicate that two thirds of all South Africans believe that government’s ability to fight crime is at its lowest level since 2003 – despite the fact that official crime statistics are going down. But the survey also shows that many people are passive bystanders in the fight against crime and expect government to take full responsibility for bringing down the crime rate. It is argued that it will require a huge concerted and joint effort by government and the public to change the perception of South Africa as one of the crime hot spots of the world.
Highlights
Markinor has been involved in public opinion studies on government performance since 1994, and various issues of delivery are probed twice a year
Government’s ability to handle crime Currently only one third of the adult South African population (33%) believes that government is handling the issue of fighting crime well
Is crime on the increase? When asking South Africans whether they perceive the crime rate to be on the increase, about three in every five South African adults (59%) believe that this is the case; the remainder believe that it has either decreased (15%) or remained the same (24%)
Summary
The findings of the latest Markinor opinion poll on government performance indicate that two thirds of all South Africans believe that government’s ability to fight crime is at its lowest level since 2003 – despite the fact that official crime statistics are going down. A list of 23 ‘delivery areas’ are probed every six months and respondents have to indicate whether government is handling the issue ‘very well’, ‘fairly well’, ‘not very well’ or ‘not at all well’ These studies have consistently found that government’s performance in terms of handling crime, as well as its handling of job creation and unemployment, are rated worse than other aspects by South Africans. Government’s ability to handle crime Currently only one third of the adult South African population (33%) believes that government is handling the issue of fighting crime well. South Africans of all population groups view government’s ability to fight crime considerably more negatively since the last poll in November last year.
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