Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. A survey by Afrobarometer, a South Africa-based non-profit survey research network, has revealed that if elections were held tomorrow, President Emmerson Mnangagwa would win with a narrow margin over Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance.
However, most Zimbabweans who took part in the survey said they were experiencing economic and social hardships characterised by a shortage of cash, water and other basics. The Afrobarometer report says:
More than half (54%) of Zimbabweans say they feel close to a political party. About a quarter (27%) of citizens say they feel close to Zanu PF, while a fifth (20%) say they feel close to MDC-Chamisa.
If presidential elections were held tomorrow, one-third (33%) of respondents say they would vote for the Zanu PF candidate, compared to one-fourth (26%) who say they would vote for the MDC-Chamisa candidate.
About four in 10 refused to answer, say they would not vote, or say they don’t know.
According to the survey, a large majority (91%) said Mnangagwa’s administration in office since November 2017, was performing badly in job creation, keeping prices stable (78%), improving living standards of the poor (75%).
However, 57% of the respondents commended the government’s efforts on preventing or resolving violent conflicts.
Mnangagwa won the 2018 presidential election with a slight margin against Chamisa, according to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
Chamisa however dismissed the results as fraudulent and took the matter to the Constitutional Court but lost the appeal.
Zimbabwe is set to hold presidential, parliamentary and local government elections in 2023.
