Only 43% of whites upbeat on SA
Johannesburg - Less than half of white people in South Africa believe the country's future is rosy. Adding to the negativity is a report that showed almost one million whites had left the country in the past 10 years.
This transpired in two separate reports - one by Research Surveys (RS) about how positive South Africans are about the future and another by the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) about the exodus of whites.
According to the RS research, which was conducted among 2 000 city dwellers in August this year, black people are the most upbeat about South Africa's future.
RS director Neil Higgs says the gap between how whites and blacks feel can be ascribed to the fact that today blacks are being afforded more opportunities, while whites enjoy fewer chances than in the past.
"Whites' feeling about the future also can be linked to big news events," he said.
He reckoned whites were more inclined to adapt their feelings as they were exposed to bad news.
The response to the statement "I feel positive about South Africa and its future" was as follows:
* Agree - 64% (blacks 75%, coloureds 50%, Indians 48% and whites 43%);
* Disagree - 26% (whites 45%, Indians 40%, coloureds 35% and blacks 17%);
* Don't know - 10% (coloureds 15%, whites 12%, Indians 12% and blacks 7%).
The same question is being asked on a quarterly basis since June 2004 of about 2 000 city dwellers. Last month's average of 64% was the lowest yet.
The optimism seemingly reached its peak in May this year when an average 73% of respondents were positive about the future.
Researchers reckon there is no difference between the stance of men and women, but mention that people over 50 are about 12% less optimistic than those under 50.
Higgs cites the fact that the white population is on average older as a contributing factor.
This view coincides with the SAIRR report that increasingly more young people are leaving the country and that the white population is thus getting older.
Rapport, sister publication of Fin24, reported on Sunday that almost a fifth of South African whites had left the country in the past 10 years.
According to the SAIRR, the number of whites in South Africa between 1995 and 2005 had declined by 16% to the present 4.3 million.
The SAIRR blamed crime and affirmative action for the exodus.
News source: www.news24.co.za
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