JOHANNESBURG - Trust in South Africa's mainstream institutions of government, media, non-governmental organisations and business is in steady decline, with only 14 percent of the general population trusting the government, a survey showed on Tuesday.
The 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer found that, from 2017 to 2018, trust in government dropped from to 14 percent from 15 percent, while that in the media was down to 35 percent from 39 percent, business dipped to 53 percent from 53 percent and trust in non-governmental organisations was lower at 50 percent from 58 percent.
"This lack of faith in government is the reason why former President Jacob Zuma was forced to resign a year ahead of schedule as the corruption allegations levelled against him are said to have contributed to the increasingly negative public opinion of the (ruling) ANC and the government," the report said.
Edelman is a leading global communications marketing firm that partners with many of the world’s largest and emerging businesses and organisations, helping them evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations.
It has been measuring trust in the four main institutions since 2001 and South Africa has been included in the survey every year since 2014.
This year, the Edelman Trust Barometer revealed that 20 of the 28 countries surveyed now fall into the category of dis-trusters, with South Africa’s trust index decreasing by four points as the country became the third least trusting market.