HARARE - President Robert Mugabe has lost the confidence of the female population, according to a recent poll that projects he will win only nine per cent of women’s votes in a future election.

The poll conducted by non-governmental organisations, the International Centre for Transitional Justice, IDASA, the Research and Advocacy Unit and the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe, shows that Mugabe has dismally lost the female vote.
The pollster predicted that Prime Minister and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC party would come first with 51 per cent of the female vote. Arthur Mutambara, the leader of a faction of the MDC and also Deputy Prime Minister, is projected to clinch a paltry 3 per cent.

The latest poll results tally to that of another survey released recently by the Mass Public Opinion Institute that showed Mugabe clinching only 10 per cent of the vote in the heartland of his support base in Mashonaland East.
The report gives the first findings of a national poll of 2,153 women drawn from Zimbabwe's 10 provinces. The women were polled in mid-November 2009 and early December 2009.

Significantly, most women noted the skewed power relations among the principals in the inclusive government
"The majority of women (74 per cent) believe that Robert Mugabe has the most power in the inclusive government, with a small number (14 per cent) believing that Morgan Tsvangirai has any power at all, and virtually none believe that Arthur Mutambara has any power," the report states.

"However, most (51per cent) expressed support for MDC-T, with only 9 per cent and 3 pe rcent expressing support for Zanu (PF) and MDC-M respectively. 21 per cent said they were unwilling to say and 14 per cent stated they did not support any party."
The survey also found that 85 per cent of women felt they should have been consulted about the global political agreement and 70 per cent felt that women's interests were not represented in the inclusive government.

"80 per cent of women stated that their lives had not changed much for the better since formation of the inclusive government," the report further states.

The survey showed that there was little hope for the future in a country only slowly recovering from economic collapse after three decades of President Mugabe's rule.

Analysts say ordinary Zimbabweans are frustrated with the slow pace of economic recovery and reforms toward democracy since the unity government assumed office 15 months ago.

While the fragile coalition has stabilized the economy and re-opened schools and hospitals, it is financially incapable of rebuilding collapsed public infrastructure and providing clean water. At least eight out of 10 potential workers are unemployed, and organized crime and corruption are increasing in the wake of a decade-long economic recession.

By The Zimbabwean