Though very much taken up with their own issues of elections and democratic process, Zimbabweans are no exception to the powerful interest among Africans in the U.S. presidential election contest between Democratic Barack Obama - given his Kenyan extraction - and Republican John McCain.
Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya of Harare told reporter Patience Rusere of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that most people in the country who are following the election favor Obama, who they hope will take a harder line with the Harare government.
Zimbabwean financial and political analyst Dennis Mandudzo, in San Francisco, said he hopes Zimbabweans can draw useful lessons from the U.S. electoral process.
Zimbabwe's own presidential election in March opened a traumatic three-month period of political violence leading to a widely denounced presidential run-off ballot in June in which President Robert Mugabe, the only contender, claimed victory.