Zimbabwe voters' views: Masiza

Masiza (not his real name), 43, is an engineer living and working in the capital, Harare.

I voted in the elections in 2002 but they were not what you would call normal elections.

People expected things to get better but nothing changed.

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

In those elections the opposition was never given a proper platform to campaign.

But this time there is a different dimension and I think things will definitely change.

The difference this time is that there is disgruntlement within the ruling party.

Opinions are split and people in the rural areas do not yet know enough about Simba Makoni.

In general, the rural areas have voted for Zanu-PF and the urban ones for the MDC but I do not think that the vote will be split between Simba Makoni and Morgan Tsvangirai.

Personally I will vote for Tsvangirai.

If you look at the ruling party they have done everything in their power to try to weaken the opposition and the splits in the MDC are really down to Zanu-PF.

But I am very optimistic that now things will change.

With the emergence of Simba Makoni it will be very difficult for them to rig the elections and repeat their old tricks.

But Simba Makoni knows all their tricks so he will not let them get away with it.

It is like if I am a thief and I tell my friend that I am a thief, then he will tell other people and this will stop me from being a a good thief!

Cheap politicking

Generally Zimbabweans are very peaceful people and so there will be no violence.

This time some of the independent newspapers talk about the MDC, so they are getting some coverage

The MDC won the elections in 2002, despite all the voter intimidation.

It was just that the result was not awarded to them. The results did not tally with the turn out so there definitely was a lot of rigging then. At that time almost all the media supported Zanu-PF.

This time some of the independent newspapers talk about the MDC, so they are getting some coverage.

I remember the first days of independence in 1980 - we were so happy because we felt we had our country to ourselves. The first 10 years or so were good and the economy was strong.

But then things got worse.

We distanced ourselves from the global economy.

In 2000 we acquired the farms but without the skills to run them.

I don't believe as Mugabe says that the MDC is an agent of the West. I think that is just cheap politicking.

When our relatives come and visit us from the countryside they say they still support Mugabe.

We have arguments with them! It is like they come from a different world!

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