According to the MPOI Afrobarometer round nine survey released yesterday, 33% of the respondents said they would vote for the CCC leader against 30% who vouched for Mnangagwa.
Zanu-PF, which has in the past applauded MPOI’s surveys, yesterday dismissed the latest survey as “straw polls”.
“I do not comment on straw polls,” Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said.
The party’s information director Tafadzwa Mugwadi added: “We don’t dignify rehearsed, unscientific, nonsense published as research outcomes. Zanu-PF will romp to a whitewash victory in 2023.”
But academic Methuseli Moyo said Zanu-PF risked ignoring the survey outcome at its own peril.
“MPOI has over the years built a reputation in the field of surveys. Based on that, it is safe to agree with their results, which surely will cause excitement in some quarters, and anxiety in some. As things stand, the situation favours the opposition, and the MPOI survey results cannot be faulted,” Moyo said.
Political analyst Phillan Zamchiya added: “The people are not happy about economic mismanagement, grabbing of natural resources like land and minerals, soaring prices of basic goods, the rise of domestic and gender-based violence, corruption and deteriorating infrastructure.”
The MPOI survey says Mnangagwa’s popularity has been on the decline as ordinary Zimbabweans demand answers over the harsh economic climate characterised by skyrocketing prices of goods and services.
Mnangagwa has, instead accused businesses of conniving to increase prices to force ordinary Zimbabweans to riot and oust him from power.
Political analyst Vivid Gwede said: “It is a significant finding that Chamisa has gained while Mnangagwa has lost potential voters. Given that most such surveys previously pointed to Zanu-PF wins, this swing is significant nearly a year to the next elections.”
