Political Reporter
Political analysts have dismissed the Brenthurst Foundation pre-election survey that predicted Nelson Chamisa’s victory in the forthcoming presidential polls as fake and misleading.
Yesterday, the Brenthurst Foundation released poll results which tipped Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) to secure 53 percent of the total votes.
However, political analyst Terrence Chipwanya said that Zimbabweans should not read much into the poll results as the study was marred with various irregularities.
“Zimbabweans should not read much into the poll results because the survey was done by a London based organisation SABI Strategy Group. Although it disclaims having links with CCC, the truth is that the group is an ally of CCC and the study it conducted was a mere agenda setting and an attempt to shape public opinion and influence voting behaviour in favour of CCC. Again, the methodology used in gathering data and the sample used is questionable. I can authoritatively say that the study was done on diaspora Zimbabweans who are inclined to show support for Chamisa, hence the results have no bearing on the forthcoming elections,” said Chipwanya.
Chipwanya argues that the findings of the study were detached from the reality at grassroots levels in Zimbabwe where ZANU PF has overwhelming support. He added that CCC should not be hoodwinked by this study into thinking that it would win the forthcoming elections as votes are not decided by online elitist polls.
Another political analyst, Grace Muchenje added that the study was far from facts and reality on the ground. She said that evidence suggested that ZANU PF support base on the ground was increasing as shown by increasing numbers of people defecting from other political parties to ZANU PF.
According to Muchenje, it was wrong that the study claims people were shifting allegiance from ZANU PF to CCC and said that the opposite was true.
Meanwhile, last year, the Afrobarometer, a South Africa based non-profit research network, predicted President Mnangagwa’s electoral victory in the 2023 Harmonised General Elections. Stephen Ndoma, who carried a survey on behalf of the Afrobarometer, said that about 51 percent of Zimbabweans still trust President Mnangagwa to lead the nation.
