FINDINGS from the Afro-barometer round nine survey on Zimbabwe have predicted that if a Presidential election were to be held tomorrow, the Citizens’ Movement led by Nelson Chamisa would beat President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
This is the first time since 2009 where an opposition candidate has taken this sort of lead in the survey released by the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI).
Afrobarometer is a survey research network that provides data on Africans’ experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life.
A national partner in each country conducts the survey and in Zimbabwe, the Afrobarometer surveys are conducted by the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI).
According to the same research, Zimbabweans are not happy about their socio-economic circumstances and want bread-and-butter issues to be addressed.
Citizens Coalition for Change spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the results of the survey have come as no surprise.
“The data on the incumbent’s decline is compounded by the deteriorating economic situation, Zimbabwe has the highest hyperinflation rate in the world, yet again,” Mahere said.
“Half the population continues to live in extreme poverty. This data is fortified by findings in the Afro-barometer Report which signal that the majority of Zimbabweans say the government is performing fairly badly on key economic issues.”
“87% say the government is performing badly on keeping prices stable. Additionally, 72% said the country is going in the wrong direction. This view is most pronounced (8796) among citizens experiencing high lived poverty.”
Mahere said the Afro-barometer survey “confirms what we have been saying, namely, that the Citizens’ Movement has a widespread footprint in all the four corners of Zimbabwe. The CCC is the dominant political party and is a rising political force in the country. This is all before we have launched the movement.”