Gap between the rich and the poor widening: Study

The gap between the rich and the poor is widening at a frightening rate in South Africa with its black population and women worst affected by the growing inequalities.

The findings are the outcome of a study conducted by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation between April 2006 and 2007.

"In our society as a whole it (gap) is 62 per cent. Among Africans it is 68 per cent and that level of inequality tends to act as a strain pulling groupings apart, polarising and potentially generating conflict. The survey is frightening", Editor of the survey, Sue Brown said.

The survey formed part of the annual Economic Transformation Audit Report.

Meanwhile, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation said in another survey that that confidence of ordinary South Africans in the country's institutions of democracy had deteriorated.

This was according to the 2007 annual Economic Transformation Audit.

The institute said in a statement that the lack of confidence in the country's key institutions meant to safeguard democracy, were perceptions that Parliament, Provincial Legislatures as well as the Presidency had gradually lost touch with ordinary South Africans grappling with high levels of poverty, unemployment and a lack of social justice. 

"Factionalism and attack driven politics seen recently have not helped much either", said the Institute. He was referring to the divisions between supporters of President Thabo Mbeki on one side and supporters of the ruling party president, Jacob Zuma, on the other.

The report also touched on the issues of employment equity, education, social justice and land reform. Although unemployment has dropped slightly from 7.8 million in 2006 to 7.6 million last year, it is still one of the world's highest at 37.5 per cent, the report said.

The report also suggests the country's education system is in turmoil. Over 80 per cent of school leavers unable to actively participate in the economy as they are unemployable and don't qualify for entry into institutions of higher learning, it added.

Of particular concern is the high number of white males still occupying top management positions at over 60 per cent. With the deadline for land reform just around the corner at 2014, only 3 per cent of 30 per cent of land has been transferred to black ownership since 1994.