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By Magreth Nunuhe

Windhoek – Unemployment is the biggest problem of citizens in most of the countries studied in southern Africa, revealed the recently released Afrobarometer 2017 survey.

Afrobarometer is a pan-African and non-partisan research network that conducts public opinion surveys on democracy, governance, economic conditions and related issues in African countries.

Six series of surveys were conducted in 37 countries between 1999 and 2016, while series 7 surveys are ongoing.

Afrobarometer conducts face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent's choice with representative samples at the national level

. one of the top three issues that the government should address, while other pressing concerns were poverty / deprivation (24%), education (21%), health (19%), food shortage (14%), crime and security (13%).

The citizens of Botswana rated the overall management of the economy and other economic issues at 10% on their priority list.

"The Government of Botswana is the largest employer in the country.

While some international financial institutions such as the World Bank have warned against further increasing the government's payroll, it does not diminish the government's wage bill. citizens' expectations of job creation by the government, "says the report. also regards unemployment as the most crucial problem in the eyes of its citizens – 57% for unemployment, far ahead of infrastructure (42%), electricity (30%) and water supply (29%). %).

In Namibia, 66% of respondents agreed that unemployment is the biggest problem facing Namibians, while poverty (34%), land (21%), management of the economy (18%), education (17%), corruption (17%) In 1965, about 55% of people in São Toméo considered unemployment as their biggest challenge to economic well-being, while Other priorities were utilities, such as health (27%), electricity (22%). ), education (22%), water supply (21%) and infrastructure / roads (20

Zimbabweans consider unemployment (64%) as the most pressing problem in the region. Time, followed by two other economic problems: management of the economy (39%) and wages and salaries (25%).

Fifty percent of ewatini's inhabitants, unemployment is the most important issue the government should address, as citizens are increasingly concerned

On the other hand, Malawians consider food shortage / famine (cited by 62% of respondents) as the important national problem that the government must address, management of the economy comes second (40%), followed by agriculture / agriculture (23%). 19659007] "In Malawi, each of these problems is, of course, closely linked to the agricultural sector – a very important reason for the "Malawians classify food shortages among the priority problems is that the majority (60%) of them often lack food," reads the poll.

Economics

With regard to the economy, the majority of Southern African citizens surveyed were not satisfied with their government and criticized the performance of their economy. In its Malawi Economic Monitor, World Bank (2017), Malawians advocated for better macroeconomic management and fiscal planning to combat food insecurity

. % of respondents who said that the government was doing "fairly well" or "very well" managing the economy between 2003 and 2008.

Almost two-thirds (64%) of South Africans also expressed their dissatisfaction with the economy was headed in the wrong direction and the government was failing to manage it – a third level of disapproval among the 11 countries of southern Africa. The majority (57%) of Tanzanians say the economic situation in their country is "worse" or "much worse" than a year ago, while 65% of Zambians see the country in the wrong direction, whose one out of four Zambians 65% of people in São Toméas criticized the fact that the government is "very" or "somewhat" bad at reducing income gaps, but have given a boost to the overall management of the economy. economy (53%). 19659007] Six out of ten Zambians (60%) described the country's current economic situation as "rather bad" or "very bad" – a sharp rise from 36% in 2013.

More than 60% of Zimbabweans that the country was They are going "in the wrong direction", but they "hope that the election will produce a government that will end the country's slide into economic scarcity".

Zimbabweans go to the polls in presidential, parliamentary, and local elections in July 30, 2018.

On control The inhabitants of Botswana consider that their government is generally effective in managing the economy.

Six in ten people in Botswana (60%) say the government manages the economy "fairly well" or "very well".

The Namibian government has also received a satisfactory rating of 60% of its citizens, who believe the government manages the economy well, while in eSwatini, people are optimistic about the country's economic situation , with a rate of approval of 56%.