Survey: Nelson Chamisa most trusted Zim political leader with 48 percent approval rating

33 percent of the respondents said they still trusted Mugabe, a man without a political party

HE may be retired from politics, but former President Robert Mugabe would still give the current crop of political leaders a run for their money, according to a new poll.

Mugabe, 94, was ousted in a military coup last November after 37 years in power. The military installed his deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, in his place.

The coup succeeded only because opposition supporters – frustrated by a failing economy and rampant unemployment – joined in, massing in urban centres and cheering the soldiers on.

But after being at the helm for seven months, and facing his first election for President on July 30, it would seem Mnangagwa has been unable to endear himself to Zimbabweans.

A nationally representative pre-election survey by Afrobarometer, carried out by the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI), shows Mnangagwa is trusted as a leader by just 47 percent of Zimbabweans, only 14 percentage points better than Mugabe, who is not campaigning in this election.

The survey was conducted from a sample of 2,400 registered voters between June 25 and July 6 – exactly a month before the election.

Opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, who only assumed the position in March following the death of the party’s founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, is the most trusted political leader in Zimbabwe with a 48 percent approval rating.

Thokozani Khupe of the MDC-T is trusted by only five percent of the electorate, while the other presidential candidates’ numbers were almost insignificant.

Afrobarometer asked the respondents: “How much do you trust each of the following, or haven’t you heard enough about them to say?”

A staggering 33 percent of the respondents said they still trusted Mugabe, a man without a political party, indicating it will take some time for some Zimbabweans to accept another leader in the office of the President. zim live