By Alec Hogg
The inspiration for what follows took sacrifice. To be more precise, a 20 minute walk, in the dark, at minus 22 degrees. But every icy breath was worth it. On the first morning of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, global reputational management business Edelman releases the latest results of its Trust Barometer at a pre-dawn breakfast. This year’s results were simply shocking. Especially for the South African Government.
Chairman Richard Edelman described global trust as having entered a crisis across the board. Trust in business is back to levels last seen during the Global Finance Crisis in 2009. Ditto mainstream media an unprecedented five point plunge in the trust level puts it just one point above Governments, which is also at an all-time low.
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To quote the visibly shaken Edelman: “All of the groupings are now seen as narrow minded, narrowly focused elites who are completely missing the point. People believe the system is broken, more than half of them think the system is unfair and the elites cannot be trusted. Only 15% of people worldwide believe the system is working.”
The traditional pyramid, he added, has flipped. Those in positions of authority where they previously were able to wield influence (political leaders, CEOs, mainstream media) are now distrusted by most. They are perceived as being biased and living in echo chambers. The majority say the most trusted source of information is now others like themselves.
It gets even worse for South Africa. On an index where under 50 reflects distrust, SA’s overall score fell from an already disturbing 45 last year to 42 in 2017. The critical reason for this poor showing is its citizens’ massive distrust in the Zuma Administration.
For the second successive year, the survey shows South Africans distrust their Government more than nationals of any of the other 27 countries surveyed. By a country mile. With an index score of just 15, SA is five index points adrift of second lowest Poland and nine behind Brazil (where they’ve impeached their President). The average for all 28 countries is 41.
At the other end, South African trust in businesses is on the better half of the 28 countries, this category scoring in neutral territory at 56. Trust in South African CEOs scored relatively well with their score of 52 ranking them 4th in the world. The Edelmans Trust Barometer, now in its 17th year, is the most respected research of its kind. It surveys 38,400 people around the world and claims an error margin of just 1%.
When you reflect on the SA results, some illogical domestic activity suddenly makes sense. SA President Jacob Zuma needs a scapegoat for his own shocking performance, hence attempts to shift the blame for the country’s problems onto business. There is also some twisted logic in his determination to push a Bill through Parliament to muzzle his critics, especially the media. But it also tells us the days of the plunderers are numbered. To govern, trust is a must. Zuma’s account is empty. He will become increasingly desperate. But each crazy move brings a greater risk of a backlash. Hope springs.
