In comparison to the previous survey Zimbabweans are less optimistic about the possibility that things will improve. In 2009, 65% felt that economic conditions in the country would improve in the following 12 months – the comparable percentage for 2010 was 49. In 2009, 63% of Zimbabweans reckoned their own economic conditions would be better in 12 months from then – in 2010 this percentage had shrunk to 48. II: Politics of violence and fear in Zimbabwe Political violence and intimidation have been widespread in Zimbabwe. Violence and intimidation shape the context of constitution-making and elections. Hence, the analysis places these phenomena in the foreground, showing how a large proportion of Zimbabweans have been affected by violence and fear of violence and intimidation – and many more of the supporters of the MDC-T than of ZANU-PF have been affected. The transition might have been progressing, but there is little doubt that violence and important political decisions hang together. 76% in the survey believe that each time Zimbabwe comes to important political decisions, violence and intimidation surface. The memories of violence and retribution for dissidence from ZANU-PF also lie just below the surface, and need very little to be rekindled. One-third of Zimbabweans in this survey report that they have been exposed personally to intimidation and threat in the period since independence in 1980 – and 27% have witnessed politically inspired killing and injury. These percentages rise even further when the political parties’ supporters are separated – with MDC-T supporters far more exposed than their counterparts in ZANU-PF. Again on the general population level, 58% of respondents reported that they had experienced violence and intimidation in their communities in the past two years. It is not surprising therefore that there is an omnipresent awareness of the threat to personal safety once Zimbabweans exit the zone of non-political daily activities into the world of politics. In this political world they do not feel free to express their views. 89% say they have to be careful what they say politically. When probed in open-ended questions about the reasons for violence and the identity of the perpetrators, the survey respondents’ experiences indicated ZANU-PF’s ‘misuse’ of supporters and associates, in the context of greed for political power and disregard of electoral verdicts. The bulk of survey responses identify ZANU-PF associated persons and agencies as by far the most prevalent amongst the perpetrators. The most prominent responses in open-ended questions were ‘ZANU-PF youths and supporters’ (26%), ‘war veterans and youth militia’ (9%), ‘all political parties or both ZANUPF and MDC-T supporters’ (6%), ‘youths or idle youths’ (3%) and ‘MDC-T supporters’ (3%). III: Constitution-making and constitutional expectations Zimbabweans appear to have been confused by the on-off constitutional debates and proceedings of the past decade, combined with a partial transition that brought mixed signals of improved economic conditions (yet, continuous hardships), and apparent entrenchment of ZANU-PF in power. 5