Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in for a second and final term after being declared the winner of last month’s elections.
President Mnangagwa, who turns 81 next week, took the oath of office today at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, the nation’s capital.
The presidents of Mozambique, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo were among those who attended the ceremony, while the Federal Republic of Nigeria sent its deputy.
Despite the views of international observers that the elections were deeply flawed, the electoral commission declared Mnangagwa winner with 53 per cent of the votes cast, while the opposition candidate, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party received 44 per cent.
It would be recalled that Zimbabwe’s elections had been marred in the past by incidents of violence and allegations of manipulation.
- The country was ruled by Robert Mugabe from 1987 to 2017, but he was overthrown by the military and the former vice president, Mnangagwa, came to power.