Johannesburg - Most South Africans don’t trust their public representatives in the legislatures because they are more concerned about advancing their own ambitions than with serving the public.
This is according to the most recent Afrobarometer public attitude survey on the job performance of members of Parliament and councillors.
Councillors scored 22 percent and MPs 16 percent on this question on listening to ordinary citizens’ views in a survey across 36 African countries by Afrobarometer.
The survey found that due to increasing corruption and impunity, most South Africans felt their political leaders are not interested in listening to the constituents’ views.
Nearly half - 46 percent -of the people surveyed said most MPs are corrupt and another 48 percent said the same of their local councillors.
South Africa’s results are above the Southern Africa average of 28 percent.
For MPs perceptions of being corrupt increased by 19 percent since 2005.
When asked about the motivation for political leaders, seven in 10 South Africans agreed that they are more concerned with their own ambitions.
Another 54 percent said they disapproved of their MPs performance and a further 16 percent also don’t approve of their local concillors’ performance.
Two-thirds (69 percent) of Africans believe that political party leaders are more
concerned with pursuing their own political ambitions than with representing the people’s interests.
Among 12 public institutions and leaders, MPs and local councillors rank eighth and ninth in public trust.
Religious leaders, the army, traditional leaders, the courts and presidents scored higher.
Out of the 18 countries tracked since 2005 on the question of impunity, South
Africa is ranked top of the list for having officials who commit crimes “often” or “always”, an increase of 36 percent according to the report.
Sunday Independent