Zimbabwe: Afrobarometer Finds Mixed Perceptions of Zimbabwe's Democratic Progress Under Mnangagwa

What the report says

Afrobarometer’s latest survey on Zimbabwe suggests a divided public view of democratic change under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, according to reporting distributed by AllAfrica from New Zimbabwe. The article says the findings reflect attitudes over the past five years of Mnangagwa’s rule and were published on 15 October 2026.

The report indicates that 20% of respondents believe Zimbabwe has become more democratic, while 25% say it has become less democratic. Another 41% say the overall level of democracy has not changed. The survey also found broad support for democracy in principle, with stronger support in rural areas than in cities, but fewer than half of respondents describing Zimbabwe as either a full democracy or a democracy with only minor problems.

The article places these results against a political backdrop in which Zanu PF has continued to dominate local and parliamentary contests, while the opposition has struggled to mount effective resistance to laws, amendments and policies that have drawn criticism. It also notes that about seven in 10 citizens said they had not felt democracy was threatened over the past five years.

The findings matter because they offer a snapshot of how Zimbabweans are judging governance and political institutions under Mnangagwa. In broader context, Afrobarometer is a well-known public opinion research network that regularly measures public views on democracy and governance across Africa.