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Johannesburg - The sense of unity among South Africans is at its lowest level since the heady days of the 2010 soccer World Cup, new research reveals according to City Press.
There is also a very strong perception among black South Africans that whites feel superior to blacks - and 50% of black people surveyed believe white people should still feel guilty about apartheid.
Futurefact has been surveying local attitudes and beliefs since 1998, and its 2014/15 survey has found that the country’s “unity score” is at 6.9 for blacks and 6.6 for whites.
This is a score out of 10, with 0 being not at all united and 10 being completely united.
In 2010, black Africans scored national unity at 8.8 and whites at 8.3. A year later, this dropped to 7.6 for blacks and 7.1 for whites.
Futurefact’s Jos Kuper said the research was based on a probability sample of 3 048 adults (18 or older) living in communities of more than 500 people throughout South Africa.
One key finding around race and identity was that South Africans show a strong desire and belief in the notion that all South Africans can coexist peacefully without losing their own cultural identity (black 82%, white 80%), and that we need each other to prosper in this country (black 75%, white 71%).
The survey also found that most South Africans want to move on - 65% of blacks and 74% of whites strongly believe we cannot keep blaming the past for today’s problems.
