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<\/p>\nMore than half of South African taxpayers want to vote the governing party out of power in next year\u2019s elections because of rolling blackouts, a survey shows.<\/p>\n
An online poll of almost 1,500 adults last month found that 65% of middle-income earners are seriously considering not voting for the African National Congress (ANC) in next year\u2019s general elections, according to a BrandMapp-Silverstone report published on the website of Cape Town-based consultancy WhyFive.<\/p>\n
Africa\u2019s most industrialized economy has been subjected to rolling blackouts, known locally as load shedding, since 2008 because state power utility Eskom has been unable to meet demand from its old and poorly maintained plants.<\/p>\n
The daily outages are costing the country as much as R899 million per day and hobbling economic growth, with output only expected to increase 0.3% this year, according to the central bank.<\/p>\n
\u201cTaxpayers of South Africa are being pushed to the limits, not just of their tolerance, but of their ability to remain resilient, productive and positive about the future,\u201d the company said. \u201cIt could be argued that all social revolutions begin at the crest of a wave of urgency, and if that is indeed true, then we have certainly reached that point.\u201d<\/p>\n
The survey data shows that regardless of race, age, location and gender, South Africans are placing the blame for the power crisis at the feet of the ANC.<\/p>\n
The only two other serious considerations regarding load shedding on par with voting the ANC out of power is going completely off-grid or emigrating.<\/p>\n
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About 14.7 million individuals in a working-age population of 40.5 million are registered taxpayers in South Africa, according to National Treasury data.<\/p>\n
The survey also found that:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been forced back 100 years,\u201d BrandMapp-Silverstone said. \u201cWhen candle power is the best solution, you have to know there\u2019s a problem!\u201d<\/p>\n