1 Introduction, objectives, methodology and political context of the December 2010 Freedom House survey 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Introduction and objectives (10) Methodology (10) Political context of the survey – during and subsequent to fieldwork (13) Report structure (16) 1.1 Introduction and objectives Freedom House Southern Africa (FHSA) has been conducting a series of surveys of the political situation in Zimbabwe. The primary objective has been to support partner organisations in Zimbabwe that Freedom House works with in pursuit of the ideals of a politically free society in Zimbabwe, which can only come about through free, democratic and legitimate elections, anchored in an empowered civil society. This survey was conducted just over two years after the formation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), 22 months after the formation of the Inclusive Government (IG) and 15 months after the first survey of September 2009. The surveys offered Zimbabweans a platform to express opinions and relate experiences on a series of issues that are critically important to the citizenry as Zimbabwe continues its transitional process. The surveys are vital in helping to ensure that the voices of the people are known, and that they help shape the political decisions that are made in this transition. 1.2 Methodology This section relates essential details of the polling process that generated the data for this report. The process was a cooperative endeavour between Freedom House, Susan Booysen, and the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI). The questionnaire The sections of the questionnaire dealt with the issues of continuous transition and gradual political change in Zimbabwe, circa 2010 – and were designed to speak to the needs of Freedom House and its partner organisations in its 2011 work in Zimbabwe. The main themes in the questionnaire centred on: General socio-political-economic attitudes (experiences and expectations regarding the nature and extent of change in contemporary Zimbabwe); 10