Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in as Zimbabwe’s President for second term after disputed polls

« Emmerson Mnangagwa has been sworn in for his second term as Zimbabwe’s President in Harare on Monday after last month’s disputed election.
Zimbabweans cast their votes on August 23 and 24 to elect a new president, parliamentarians, and local council members.
Mnangagwa was re-elected after securing 52.6 per cent of vote while his main contender Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party received 44 percent.
The CCC vehemently contested the results, calling them fraudulent. In a speech after his inauguration in Harare, Mnangagwa appealed for unity in the contentious polls. He pledged to revive the nation’s ailing economy, emphasising that « responsive policies initiated during my first term as president are already in progress to uplift many out of poverty. »
He was sworn in accompanied by the jubilant celebration of Mnangagwa’s supporters, while opponents called the polls a fraud. The 80-year-old leader and his wife Auxillia entered the National Sports Stadium amid singing and dancing.
Several African leaders attended the inauguration ceremony, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mozambique’s President Phillipe Nyusi, and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, among others.
The election was accompanied by dozens of arrests of election monitors by police ahead of the final tally of the votes, while repressive measures against opposition activists were also reported. »



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