Tendai Keith Guvamombe
The recent release of the Afrobarometer report titled: ‘Keeping Faith; Zimbabweans express support for elections, concern over process’ https://www.afrobarometer.org/publication/ad1075-keeping-the-faith-zimbabweans-express-support-for-elections-concern-over-process/ examining Zimbabweans’ preferred methods of choosing their leaders has become a striking case study in political opportunism and data manipulation.
As a journalist tracking the study and subsequent public reactions, the trend is clear: widespread misinterpretation and deliberate distortion of the findings have effectively buried the report’s most important revelation.
What the survey unequivocally shows is that despite long-standing concerns over electoral integrity and credibility, Zimbabweans overwhelmingly prefer elections as the legitimate way of selecting their leaders.
According to the data, a strong 79% of citizens support choosing leaders through regular, open, and honest elections. The study focuses purely on governance norms and enduring democratic aspiration, not political timelines or succession battles.
The Fiction of 2028 and the Weaponised Third Term
However, in the public domain, the report has been twisted to fit pre-existing political agendas.
Firstly, some opposition figures and media houses have falsely framed the findings as evidence that citizens are demanding elections in 2028.
This claim is entirely baseless. Afrobarometer never asked a question about the 2028 election date, and the published paper makes no reference to it.
This distortion is driven by political sentiment rather than any analytical engagement with the facts.
Secondly, political leaders have attempted to weaponise the report in the polarized debate over a potential third-term presidential bid or the 2030 succession narrative.
They incorrectly use the data to suggest citizens are rejecting term limit extensions. This too is analytically dishonest.
While Afrobarometer does have separate data on presidential term limits, that specific question was not included in this particular report.
Reducing a governance-norms study to a succession squabble is a clear example of retrofitting findings to serve a political objective.
Fabricating the ZEC Trust StatisticThe most glaring example of misinformation involves the figures on public trust in the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
A prominent political figure claimed the study shows only 7 percent of citizens trust the body.
This claim is factually incorrect. The latest Afrobarometer findings indicate that 49 percent of Zimbabweans say they trust ZEC “somewhat” or “a lot.”
The wide chasm between the claimed 7% and the actual 49% figure demonstrates how easily, whether carelessly or intentionally, data can be manipulated to deepen public mistrust and undermine the credibility of a key state institution.
The Call for Analytical ClarityThe controversy exposes a deeper systemic problem: the lack of necessary skills among some political actors, commentators, and journalists to correctly read and interpret survey data.
Survey research is technical, requiring a precise understanding of sampling, accurate chart reading, and, critically, the commitment to resist imposing political agendas on the findings.
In an already highly polarized environment, misrepresenting such credible data only exacerbates confusion and misinformation.
The true headline of the report is much simpler and more profound:Zimbabweans still see elections as the legitimate method of choosing leaders. This speaks to an enduring belief in democratic processes and a rejection of authoritarian alternatives, regardless of past frustrations.
Afrobarometer has built a reputation as one of Africa’s most trusted research institutions. Its work must be engaged with honestly and accurately.
The message to the public is simple: read the report for yourself. Do not rely on political actors or sensationalized headlines. Zimbabwe’s public discourse, and its democratic future, depends on political actors and the media doing better by treating facts with integrity.
Full report on : https://www.afrobarometer.org/publication/ad1075-keeping-the-faith-zimbabweans-express-support-for-elections-concern-over-process
About Author: Tendai Keith Guvamombe is a Zimbabwean journalist, political analyst, and writer with a specific focus on critical developmental issues facing the African continent.
His work and professional interests concentrate heavily on three interconnected thematic areas:
Environmental Sustainability & Tourism
Political Governance in Africa:
Sustainable Development
