Afrobarometer: Zimbabweans Likely to Vote for Zanu PF if Elections Held TomorrowA survey by Afrobarometer indicates that Zimbabweans would vote for Zanu PF if elections are held now in the country. In its latest research, according to Afrobarometer, “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. “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.” The survey also reveals that Zimbabweans broadly commend the government for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic - 81% say it managed the response “fairly well” or “very well,” and 84% say it kept the public informed. “Four out of five respondents (81%) endorse lockdowns and school closures to curb the spread of COVID-19, although most say lockdowns were difficult to comply with and schools should have reopened much sooner. Almost half (47%) of Zimbabweans say they lost a job, business, or primary source of income due to COVID-19. “Half (51%) of citizens say it is justified for the government to temporarily limit democratic freedoms by postponing elections or limiting political campaigning during a health emergency.” Large majorities say the government is performing badly on creating jobs (91%), keeping prices stable (78%), improving living standards of the poor (75%), and other issues. § On a positive note, 57% of Zimbabweans commend government efforts to prevent or resolve violent conflict. According to Afrobarometer, “considerably more Zimbabweans trust NGOs (79%) and religious leaders (78%) than trust the president (48%), members of Parliament (44%), or the police (38%).”