To make sense of this apparent dilemma a close examination of how people evaluate the performance of the government in running the country over the past four years, as well as how they see the opposition is required. This report focuses on perceptions of the government.
Most voters hold the government responsible for the overall direction of the country.
But among the majority of the electorate, black voters, those who think things are going in the wrong direction are more likely to find factors beside the government partially, or even more responsible for the overall direction of the country. Evaluations of government performance still remain strong, especially for President Mandela and Deputy President Mbeki, and less so for the government as a whole. Evaluations of specific government performance in various areas vary sharply depending on the issue. On those issues that the public now sees as the most important problems facing the country, government performance is rated especially negatively. National Trends One of the best summaries of how people judge a government is their assessment of the overall direction of the country.