Former President Thabo Mbeki at an ANC committee. Photo: Gallo Image/Denvor de Wee
Former president Thabo Mbeki still has a lot of pull with ordinary people. New research says he is currently the most popular politician in the country, ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa, former president Jacob Zuma and Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema.
This despite Mbeki’s “Aids denialism” while in office, reflected in his opposition to the roll-out of antiretroviral drugs, a move which cost almost 300 000 people their lives. People in the street still like Zuma, believing black people weren’t as unemployed or as poor under his rule.
The Social Research Foundation report said: “The data reveals the ‘favourability perceptions score’ [the score that emerges from adding the ‘very favourable’ and ‘favourable’ categories together] of most political figures has lifted since March.
“Thabo Mbeki’s score has lifted by just over five percentage points from 52.5% to 57.8%. Julius Malema’s score has lifted by around four percentage points from 23.8% to 27.7%. Cyril Ramaphosa’s score has lifted by just under four percentage points from 40.7% to 44.4%.”
According to Prof André Duvenhage, political analyst at North-West University, after the end of apartheid in 1994, the ANC exhibited excellent governance and leadership, especially with the foundation and leadership of the late Nelson Mandela.
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“And I know people will argue with me, but that’s a huge difference there. “Mandela was a symbolic leader; Mbeki followed in his footsteps and that is one of the reasons he played such an important role in politics,” he said. “I have no doubt the HIV case was extremely problematic, along with some other decisions he made.”
Duvenhage said corruption was now out of control, while Mbeki had a meticulous way of dealing with it. Political economy analyst Lesedi Phoshoko said Mbeki’s presidency was marked by inclusivity and a commitment to social justice.
He implemented policies that addressed economic disparities, improved education and focused on healthcare accessibility. “His administration prioritised infrastructure development in both urban and rural areas, ensuring that progress was felt across the nation,” she added. Phoshoko said what truly set Mbeki apart was his approachability.
He was often seen engaging with citizens on the streets, listening to their concerns and sharing in their joys and sorrows. “His down-to-earth demeanour and genuine interest in the lives of ordinary South Africans earned him the nickname ‘Mbeki, the People’s President’,” she said. “He ran this country successfully from 1999 until 2008, the economy was about to grow by double digits when he was in charge.”
However, many South Africans argued Zuma was the best president. Amogelang Sedike, 36, said Zuma made sure black people were not plunged into poverty, “like Ramaphosa did – it’s hard to talk about Mbeki because we don’t remember him much, but also he didn’t have much to deal with”.
“He wasn’t faced with much chaos like the other presidents. But Zuma did a lot for black people – and those who worked closely with him will tell you – and that’s why people hate Ramaphosa,” he added.
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