Zimbabwe's President Mnangagwa sworn in after disputed poll

HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa was inaugurated for a second term on Monday after being declared the winner of last month’s controversial election. Mnangagwa pledged to lift millions of people out of poverty in his second term.

The Zimbabwean people voted on August 23 to elect a new president, parliament members, and local council members. However, the main opposition party has criticized the election results as a “gigantic fraud”.

In his post-inauguration speech, Mnangagwa called for unity and promised to revive the struggling economy. He stated that the policies initiated during his first term as president are on track to alleviate poverty.

Thousands of Mnangagwa’s supporters, who were mainly transported from different parts of the country, celebrated with singing and dancing as the 80-year-old president entered the National Sports Stadium alongside his wife.

Mnangagwa took the oath of office in the presence of Chief Justice Luke Malaba, who had previously declared him as the winner following a constitutional court challenge in 2018.

“I am the president of all. I offer you unity, both individually and collectively,” Mnangagwa declared.

Several African leaders, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mozambique leader Phillipe Nyusi, and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, attended the inauguration ceremony. However, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema chose not to attend.

Mnangagwa’s second term begins amidst ongoing economic difficulties, with the value of the Zimdollar dropping by 80% since the beginning of the year and international funding remaining suspended.

The leader of the opposition Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) party, Nelson Chamisa, who is 45 years old, called for a new election due to alleged flaws in the previous election. However, his party did not challenge the results in court, allowing Mnangagwa’s inauguration to proceed.

Mnangagwa had encouraged the opposition to seek legal recourse but insisted that the election was valid. He also warned that any attempt to spread chaos would be dealt with forcefully.

In its preliminary report, an observer mission from the southern African regional bloc SADC stated that the election did not meet regional and international standards. The European Union (EU) observer mission described the atmosphere during the election as one of fear.

The government faced criticism for the arrest of more than 40 activists from civic society organizations and allegations of widespread voter intimidation in rural areas.

Although the voting process took place peacefully, there were significant delays in the distribution of ballot papers, leading to accusations of voter suppression from the opposition.

After years of isolation from the international community, Zimbabwe, under Mnangagwa’s leadership, has aimed to rebuild relationships with former Western allies.

However, without foreign funding, the country’s economic challenges are expected to persist, leaving millions of people with an uncertain future.

Mnangagwa indicated that he intends to maintain Zimbabwe’s local currency, the Zimdollar, despite its weakening value against the U.S. dollar since its reintroduction in 2019.

“A national currency is crucial. We can only grow our economy using internal resources. Development and national prosperity based on what we have are more sustainable and durable,” Mnangagwa emphasized.

(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono, Editing by Bhargav Acharya, Anait Miridzhanian, and Ed Osmond)