Zimbabwe voters' views: Richard

Richard, 53, from Hwange in north-western Zimbabwe, works at Zimbabwe's electricity company.

I am going to vote for President Mugabe.

I haven't changed my mind after all these years.

Although I could've done so if Simba Makoni - the independent recent arrival on the scene - had been bold enough to form a political party and come much earlier.

ZIMBABWE VOTERS' VIEWS Sandra, Bulawayo Farai, Harare Masiza, Harare Richard, Hwange Cleopas, Marondera

The only problem I have with him is that he is a one-man-band... otherwise I think I would've changed my mind and voted for him.

The reason I am still going to vote for Zanu-PF is because if I compare what all these other candidates are saying with what the old man [Mugabe] is saying, it looks like that he is the only one that is saying something with substance.

If you ask Tsvangirai what he's going to do with Zimbabwe and then listen - he just doesn't make sense at all.

For the past so many years, Mugabe has been complaining that Tsvangirai is a Western-supported agent - a puppet.

But Tsvangirai has not been accepting this and saying it is not true.

I compare what all these other candidates are saying with the old man [Mugabe]....he is the only one saying something with substance

But then with the arrival on the scene of Makoni, suddenly Tsvangirai has left Mugabe alone and is now fighting Makoni, accusing him of being supported by the West.

On the other hand, when you ask Mugabe what he's going to give Zimbabwe, although nothing he is saying has really changed, he really stands by the values of Zimbabweans.

Especially when it comes to land.

Here in Zimbabwe, land is very, very important.

Without land, you are nothing. You are no-one.

My forefathers' land was taken by a white man. But since 2002, my family, we, have our land again.

Oppression

When I was growing up, life was very tough. The policies of [Ian] Smith - the oppression I and black Zimbabweans faced was terrible.

Independence, you see freed us from all that and that was thanks to the old man [Mugabe].

I have a lot of loyalty for that old man.

Life nowadays is not as rosy as I would want.

Life has become tough in Zimbabwe - it is a reality. One cannot deny this.

Mugabe is not just a hero in Zimbabwe, he is a hero in Africa

But for people of my age, we do accept that Mugabe having stayed in power for so long is not the best and that he has made a lot of mistakes.

But it is also true that countries like the US and Britain are to blame, because honestly speaking, we believe that there are sanctions which are not targeted as those countries claim.

We Zimbabweans are very learned - possibly the most learned people in Africa. And because of that, we are a proud lot who want to stand independent on our own.

Pushing a guy like Mugabe - a man who has six or seven degrees, a learned man - aside from the world stage; it doesn't help to leave him out in the cold.

It just makes us feel that the US, the UK, the whole of Europe are fighting this man not because of the bad things he has done to Zimbabwe but maybe because of the challenge he is giving them.

Mugabe is not just a hero in Zimbabwe, he is a hero in Africa.

He is taking the lead - the bull by the horns and we feel that other leaders, like George W Bush especially do not want to be challenged by other smaller countries.

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