Zimbabweans approval ratings of IG have remained quite stable in the 2010‐12 period (Q67 and Q64,
respectively). A slight decline in ‘approving’ or ‘strongly approving’ of the IG agreement brought this
total to a 52% overall approval in 2012 (58% in 2010). When respondents were asked for their success‐
failure assessments of the period of IG in Zimbabwe, the biggest change was that those who deem it a
failure, rose from 20% in 2010 to 27% in 2012 (Q8 and Q15A, respectively).
6: ELECTIONS – EXPECTATIONS AND EXPERIENCES
The FH 2012 survey delivered a range of valuable characterisations of Zimbabweans experiences and
attitudes towards elections. Zimbabweans retain their love relationship with elections; elections retain
their expected magical wand status. Zimbabweans overwhelmingly believe that the next election (or the
next referendum) will be the definitive one that will bring all of the hoped‐for changes to politics and
society (see also Section 1). A probe of reasons why Zimbabweans say they will vote showed that 47%
(of those that anticipate participating in the next round of elections) give as motivation that ‘this is the
election that will make the difference’ (Q47B). This reason for voting was roughly twice as prevalent as
its closest competitor in the hierarchy of responses.
Motivation to vote in a referendum and next election
Turnout is an essential part of any party winning an election or referendum. A substantially higher
percentage of Zimbabweans than those that usually vote in elections in this survey declared their
determination to cast ballots, both in the forthcoming referendum and elections. A total of 80%
declared that they are ‘sure’ or ‘very sure’ that they will vote in a referendum, and 85% are ‘sure’ or
‘very sure’ that they will be casting their ballots in the next elections.
Table 15:
Motivation to vote in a next referendum and next election, 2012
Certainty about voting
MDC‐T
ZANU‐PF
Vote is my secret
or not
Referendum Election Referendum Election Referendum Election
Very sure will vote
66
75
67
81
57
67
Note sure will vote
22
18
23
14
24
20
Neither sure nor unsure
5
4
2
2
7
7
Sure will not vote
3
2
2
1
2
2
Very sure will not vote
3
2
2
1
6
3
Don’t know, refuse
1
0
3
1
4
1
Notes: Based on Q32, ‘Will you vote in a referendum? And how sure are you that you will vote, or not?’ and Q 47A,
‘If you had to decide today whether you will vote come the next round of elections, what will you decide, and how
sure are you that you will vote, or not?
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