Mugabe's popularity plunges

Perhaps the unity government in Zimbabwe is beginning to pay off.

The Zimbabwe Mail:

Support for President Robert Mugabe has plunged since the formation of a unity government six months ago, according to two polls, the results of which have only now been leaked.

Less than 10 percent of adults would vote for him or Zanu-PF if elections were held now, a new survey suggests.

Mugabe, 86, has lost 20 percent of his support since 2008's elections in which then opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, now prime minister, beat him.

However, after a campaign of Zanu-PF violence, Tsvangirai was forced to withdraw from a run-off and Mugabe was sworn into five more years in office.

But the South African Development Community (SADC) persuaded the two to form a unity government.

When the unity government was formed in Zimbabwe, the very best i could think of it was that perhaps half a loaf is better than no bread. The "loser takes all" election result made it marginally better than the alternative, which was that Mugabe continue wreching the country as he has been doing for the last yen years.

Perhaps this is a sign that at last ordinary people in Zimbabwe feel free to express dissent. Up till now most of them have simply voted with their feet, and left for South Africa and other places.

Hat-tip to Reggie Nel.