With service delivery in the spotlight over the last few months, the most important post-1994 election in South Africa’s history will take place on Wednesday 8 May 2019 and, in spite of the electorate’s unhappiness about service delivery and other issues, it is unlikely that the low turnout figure and the phenomenon of ANC “stay-away voters” of the local government elections of August 2016 will be repeated. The past weekend saw the three biggest parties on their final rallies in Gauteng. Leaders made their final appeals to voters to come out and cast their votes in their favour.

Against this background it is quite sobering to remember that only a third (33%) of registered South African voters believe that the country is currently going in the right direction. More than half (52%) are saying the country is going in the wrong direction.

The picture is even more interesting if we look at the opinions on this question held by supporters of the three biggest political parties in the country.  ANC supporters are split in their opinions, while six in every ten supporters of both the DA and the EFF feel that the country is going in the wrong direction.

Full Statement Attached

Issued by IPSOS