President still tops – Survey | The Herald March 15, 2016
Lovemore Ranga Mataire Senior Reporter
THE majority of Zimbabweans approve of President Mugabe’s leadership despite the economic challenges faced by the country as a result of economic sanctions imposed by the West while trust and support for MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai continues to plummet, an international think tank has said.
A latest survey conducted by Afrobarometer – a pan-African research network – in partnership with the South African Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in Cape Town, concluded that despite viewing their personal living conditions as “fairly bad” or “very bad”, a majority of Zimbabweans were satisfied or approved of President Mugabe’s leadership.
“After going through a tough economic period between 2002-2008, the economy of Zimbabwe began to recover around end of 2008. This followed the political settlement in September 2008 resulting in a coalition Government of National Unity (GNU) and the adoption of the multi-currency regime,” a statement released by Afrobarometer reads.
It states that between 2009 and 2011, Zimbabwe’s GDP growth averaged 7,3 percent, making it one of the world’s fastest growing economies at the time.
The survey shows that although four in 10 people in Zimbabwe expected the economic situation to deteriorate in 2015, close to six in 10 people (57 percent) believed that President Mugabe had performed well in the last 12 months.
The report also revealed that the approval rating for President Mugabe was stronger in rural areas among senior citizens and those with low levels of formal education.
Support for the ruling Zanu-PF party has remained unshakeable with Mashonaland Central province recording a massive 86 percent, Mashonaland West 78 percent while Bulawayo and Matabeleland provinces recorded a 34 percent endorsement.
MDC-T leader Mr Tsvangirai and his party recorded the least approval in all the provinces even in Bulawayo and Matabeleland provinces which are the MDC-T’s perceived strongholds.
Five rounds of surveys were conducted between 1999 and 2013, and round six surveys were currently being finalised for the period 2014-2015).
The surveys are conducted through face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice with nationally representative samples of between 1 200 and 2 400 respondents.
The survey in Zimbabwe was conducted by the Mass Public Opinion Institute, which interviewed 2 400 adult Zimbabweans in November 2014.
Another related survey conducted between 2009 and 2014 also revealed that most Zimbabweans had more trust in President Mugabe than any other leaders.
“As one would expect, President Robert Mugabe attracts high trust levels in rural communities, from supporters of the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union
Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), and in the provinces where the ruling party holds majority share,” the report says.
It states that a majority of Zimbabweans – 63 percent – said they trusted their President “somewhat” or “a lot”.
Afrobarometer says the survey shows a significant increase in trust levels in President Mugabe since 2009 to 2014.
Key findings of the survey include the fact that large majorities in provinces historically known to support Zanu-PF registered high levels of trust in President Mugabe with Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West recording an 81 percent support rate.
The support for President Mugabe was, however, subdued in some opposition parties’ strongholds of Bulawayo, Harare and Matabeleland South.
Five rounds of surveys were conducted between 1999 and 2013 while round six surveys of between 2014 and 2015 are currently being finalised.
Respondents were asked questions about the economic conditions of this country, their own present living conditions and their predictions of the economic outlook.
COMMENTS
Who says Zimbabwe does not deserve Mugabe?
RUBBISH COUNTRY, RUBBISH PEOPLE, RUBBISH PRESIDENT.
2013! Trust the Herald to bury the date of the survey hey.
The $15billion diamond vanishing act and zanu infighting a significant game changer 2015/2016.
Long way to go till 2018 admittedly.
Herald stop the nonsense tops what when he never worn elections, even 1980, it is rumored that Britain and the international community tipped the results for him because they perceived him a moderate than Joshua Nkomo. Now information is coming that he even deployed the army to beat the electorate. JUST SHUT UP you idiots
lf mugabe wins its because of fear. people are terrorised by the so called security organs. lts nt a genuine result the fact beingta large number of people lives in the rural were its a tamboo to support an opposition part. lf only these opposition have to win the election the orientation of the rural then esp ZPF. Elections its more of ground work nt how much noise one makes. beware of loosing your intergrity. Pliz penetrate kumapfanya 1st. Convince povo kuroots ndiko kune support yese weduwe ZPF. Urban ino campana yega
Oh it’s the Herald so it must be true!
if this is truly the case then what can one say about the intelligence of these people? What kind of people would be proud of a president that has destroyed the future of their grand children and brought them to the edge of starvation. How can one be proud of a President who has to go abroad to get simple medical treatment because he has presided over the destruction of the nations health delivery system. How can one be proud of a who is forever abroad at useless seminars complaining at the wrongs of the developed world without addressing issues at home? The list of failings is endless and no one can argue that he hasn’t had enough time to get it right,
Its probably true, and not because we really want the man but because we do not have a viable opposition party leader. Also based on the fact that this is a 2013 and maybe 2014 survey, this was the time before Zanu imploded and we were dealing with MDC imploding over the Biti issue and Morgan refusing to step down.
So based on the facts of the time it was probably that people were still smarting with MDC for losing the elections and that people were still (delusional but optimistic) over zimasset.
@Johann, @Lucy, this would be true but not because of the reasons Lucy has given but because of the fear factor.
Remember these surveys were done face to face and if one was to be asked face to face in rural Zimbabwe they would play it safe and say Mugabe is good.
People will not be able to trust the interviewer despite all the assurances and will always give answers that they feel will guarantee their safety hence the results.
In an environment like the one we have in Zimbabwe, to get a representative survey, it should be anonymous and not face to face otherwise people surveyed are going to give answers that they would give to someone they believe is CIO.
You may be right @Tinomunamataishe however the issue is that as always people are going to discount this survey as rubbish, when what they should be focusing on is the reason of the fear, because at the end of the day, we will have an issue where when Zanu wins (whether legitimately or not) the next elections, they will be using these polls and surveys as their supporting doco as they did in 2013 to say that the people of zim have always wanted them. So the opposition should advocate for and make sure we have respectable anonymous polls that show the true story so that as we go forward we will not be giving Zanu ammunition.
What utter rubbish. And from the Herald????
If this is genuine then I dare say Zimbabweans are the dumpiest nation on earth,why are they moaning and scattering all over the world if their President is so great and they want to keep him?