South Africa: Racial Mistrust Rife, Says Survey

By Staff Writer

A new survey released by Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) on Thursday August 14 indicates that level of racial mistrust between black and white South African’s is increasing year on year.

"73% of African respondents agreed while 44% of whites also agreed," said Prof. David Everatt, executive director of GCRO."Blacks attitudes towards whites are hardening year on year while whites have softened."

GCRO, is a partnership between the University of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand, the Gauteng government, and the South African Local Government Association, carried out a study involving over 25 000 people to gauge satisfaction levels with governance in Gauteng province.

At least 60 respondents per ward were sampled in each metropolitan municipality and 30 per ward in local municipalities.

The number of Blacks saying they would never trust whites increased from 68% in 2009 to 73% in 2013. Over the same period, the perception by whites had increased from 40% in 2009 to 44% in 2013.

55% Colored’s and 61% Indians also agreed.

Everatt said the notion was held deeply in the "older" townships, such as Thokoza, Mamelodi, Soshanguve, Mabopane in Tshwane, Alexandra, Soweto in Johannesburg, Khutsong in the West Rand, Tsakane and Tembisa on the East Rand, along with Sebokeng in the Vaal where the study found that 77% to 100% of the respondents believed that blacks and whites would never trust each other.

Everatt said times had changed and in the process influencing how people think in the southern multi-racial country."Before whites said they would never trust blacks and blacks were more open minded," he said.

The study also based on the roles played by the different race groups in building and benefiting from the resources of the country. Among the issues looked at were the role played by colored people in building a new South Africa.

45% of Africans did not believe Coloreds were helping while 33% agreed and 22% were neutral.

There has been an increased from the 2011 survey which was at 35% disagreeing and 29% being neutral while 36% agreed with the notion.

Colored respondents agreed. The number increased from the 2011 survey with 68% saying yes. At least 22% said they were not and 10% were neutral.

Whites were at 52% while 22% of them were neutral. 48% of Indians agreed with 31% being against the notion and 21% being neutral.

"Racial attitudes are a mess in the country," said Everatt.

After many years of apartheid rule and segregation, South African’s have been on a road of healing and reconciliation spearheaded by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of South Africa and which was chaired by Rev. Desmond Tutu, with Dr. Alex Boraine as deputy chairerson. 

TRC which started the hearings in 1996 was mandated to bear witness to, record and in some cases grant amnesty to the perpetrators of crimes relating to human rights violations, as well as reparation and rehabilitation.