Emmerson Mnangagwa was officially sworn in as president of Zimbabwe on Sunday after winning a bitterly contested election that marked the country’s first vote since Robert Mugabe was ousted from power.

“I Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa swear that as president of the republic of Zimbabwe, I will be faithful to Zimbabwe (and) will obey, uphold and defend the constitution of Zimbabwe,” Mnangagwa declared to thousands of supporters at a stadium in Harare.

“I will protect and promote the rights of Zimbabweans so help me God.” </s> , Harare, Zimbabwe, Aug 26 – Emmerson Mnangagwa was officially sworn in as president of Zimbabwe on Sunday after winning a bitterly-contested election which was the country’s first since the ousting of strongman Robert Mugabe.

Mnangagwa, whose victory in the July 30 polls was challenged by the main opposition, pledged to “protect and promote the rights of Zimbabweans” at an inauguration ceremony attended by thousands of supporters at a stadium in Harare.

“I Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa swear that as president of the republic of Zimbabwe I will be faithful to Zimbabwe (and) will obey uphold and defend the constitution of Zimbabwe,” he said to thunderous applause from a crowd that also included several African heads of state.

“We must now focus on addressing the economic challenges facing our nation,” he said. “We are all Zimbabweans, what unites us is greater than what could ever divide us.

Since independence from Britain in 1980, Zimbabwe has known only two presidents — Mugabe, who ruled with an iron fist for 37 years, and his erstwhile right-hand man Mnangagwa.

Nicknamed “The Crocodile”, Mnangagwa was appointed after Mugabe was forced out by the military in November last year.

The newly-minted leader on Sunday hailed his victory as a new “dawn” for Zimbabwe after years of repression and economic mismanagement which left the country burdened by shattered public services, mass poverty and unemployment.

But his promises of reform and pledges to entice back investors were marred by the army opening fire on protesters, killing six shortly after the poll, as well as allegations of vote-rigging and a violent crackdown on opposition activists.

At the inauguration, Mnangagwa vowed to open a probe into the violence, which he called “regrettable and most unacceptable”.

Supporters, many wearing caps and T-shirts emblazoned with Mnangagwa’s image, filed into the stadium on Sunday under banners proclaiming “Celebrating a new Zimbabwe” and “Unity takes us forward, peace keeps us going.”

“We were stressed with what was happening with the court procedures but we are happy now because everything has been finalised and we want people to unite and work together,” said supporter Malvern Makoni of the opposition’s legal appeals over the vote.

Other supporters also expressed an appetite for reform.

“Our country is now going to develop with president Mnangagwa now in charge. Mnangagwa is the right man to lead Zimbabwe to prosperity,” said 41-year-old Blessing Muvirimi.

Mugabe did not attend the swearing-in but was represented by his daughter Bonu, who had previously called Mnangagwa a “traitor” after her father’s ousting.

Mnangagwa of the ruling ZANU-PF party won the election with 50.8 percent of the vote — just enough to meet the 50 percent threshold to avoid a run-off against his main opposition challenger Nelson Chamisa, who scored 44.3 percent.

International observers said the polls were largely free of the violence which characterised previous votes in Zimbabwe.

However, the European Union earlier expressed concern that Mnangagwa had benefited from heavy state media coverage.

Similarly, US monitors said Sunday that Zimbabwe had “not yet demonstrated that it has established a tolerant, democratic culture”.

The country’s top court on Friday dismissed Chamisa’s bid to have the results annulled on grounds they were rigged.

But the opposition leader has rejected that ruling and vowed to lead “peaceful protests”.

“I have a legitimate claim that I am supposed to lead the people of Zimbabwe,” Chamisa, who heads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, said Saturday.

“The court’s decision is not the people’s decision. The people who voted do not believe in (Mnangagwa). We have got a clear majority.”

Mnangagwa has sought to turn the page on the issue, calling for “peace and unity” in a televised address after the court decision.

“Let us put whatever differences we might have behind us. It is time to build our nation and move forward together.” </s> HARARE, Aug 26 — Emmerson Mnangagwa was officially sworn in as president of Zimbabwe today after winning a bitterly contested election that marked the country’s first vote since Robert Mugabe was ousted from power.

Mnangagwa, whose victory in the July 30 polls was challenged by the main opposition, pledged to “protect and promote the rights of Zimbabweans” in an inauguration ceremony attended by a crowd of thousands at a stadium in Harare.

“I Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa swear that as president of the republic of Zimbabwe I will be faithful to Zimbabwe (and) will obey uphold and defend the constitution of Zimbabwe,” Mnangagwa said.

Once Mugabe’s right-hand man, Mnangagwa of the ruling ZANU-PF party won the election with 50.8 per cent of the vote — just enough to meet the 50 per cent threshold needed to avoid a run-off against the main opposition led by Nelson Chamisa, who scored 44.3 per cent.

International observers said the polls were largely free of the violence which characterised previous votes in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe’s top court on Friday dismissed Chamisa’s bid to have the results annulled because of allegated of vote rigging. — AFP </s> Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in as president of Zimbabwe

HARARE: Emmerson Mnangagwa was officially sworn in as president of Zimbabwe on Sunday after winning a bitterly-contested election which was the country´s first since the ousting of strongman Robert Mugabe.

Mnangagwa, whose victory in the July 30 polls was challenged by the main opposition, pledged to "protect and promote the rights of Zimbabweans" at an inauguration ceremony attended by thousands of supporters at a stadium in Harare.

"We must now focus on addressing the economic challenges facing our nation," he said. "We are all Zimbabweans, what unites us is greater than what could ever divide us.

Since independence from Britain in 1980, Zimbabwe has known only two presidents -- Mugabe, who ruled with an iron fist for 37 years, and his erstwhile right-hand man Mnangagwa.

Nicknamed "The Crocodile", Mnangagwa was appointed after Mugabe was forced out by the military in November last year.

The newly-minted leader on Sunday hailed his victory as a new "dawn" for Zimbabwe after years of repression and economic mismanagement which left the country burdened by shattered public services, mass poverty and unemployment.

But his promises of reform and pledges to entice back investors were marred by the army opening fire on protesters, killing six shortly after the poll, as well as allegations of vote-rigging and a violent crackdown on opposition activists.

At the inauguration, Mnangagwa vowed to open a probe into the violence, which he called "regrettable and most unacceptable".

Supporters, many wearing caps and T-shirts emblazoned with Mnangagwa´s image, filed into the stadium on Sunday under banners proclaiming "Celebrating a new Zimbabwe" and "Unity takes us forward, peace keeps us going."

Mugabe did not attend the swearing-in but was represented by his daughter Bonu, who had previously called Mnangagwa a "traitor" after her father´s ousting.

Mnangagwa of the ruling ZANU-PF party won the election with 50.8 percent of the vote -- just enough to meet the 50 percent threshold to avoid a run-off against his main opposition challenger Nelson Chamisa, who scored 44.3 percent.

International observers said the polls were largely free of the violence which characterised previous votes in Zimbabwe.

However, the European Union earlier expressed concern that Mnangagwa had benefited from heavy state media coverage.

Similarly, US monitors said Sunday that Zimbabwe had "not yet demonstrated that it has established a tolerant, democratic culture".

The country´s top court on Friday dismissed Chamisa´s bid to have the results annulled on grounds they were rigged. But the opposition leader has rejected that ruling and vowed to lead "peaceful protests". </s> Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Zimbabwean president, said he narrowly survived an attempt on his life on Saturday after a explosion at a party rally that injured two of his vice-presidents and several party officials.

He described to state media how an object "exploded a few inches away from me - but it is not my time".

Video footage showed plumes of smoke surrounding the president as he was hustled away from the scene, down stairs from the podium at White City stadium in Bulawayo, the country's second city and an opposition stronghold.

Fifteen people were hurt, three of them seriously, according to David Parirenyatwa, the health minister.

Mr Mnangagwa later said he had visited some of the injured in hospital and pleaded for unity ahead of elections next month. </s> HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Several Zimbabwean presidential candidates and political parties condemned the assassination attempt over the weekend on Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and signed an agreement to have a peaceful campaign ahead of elections at the end of July.

Neither Mnangagwa nor Nelson Chamisa, the leader of the biggest opposition party, the MDC, attended the meeting but their representatives signed the agreement, which was drafted by the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission.

There are 23 candidates standing for president in the July 30 elections, the first without former president Robert Mugabe since independence in 1980.

The explosion at the end of Mnangagwa’s rally in Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo, on Saturday killed two of the president’s aides and was the first serious violence in the current election campaign. </s> The recent explosion that occurred at a stadium in the Zimbabwean city of Bulawayo on Saturday during a campaign rally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa was an act of terrorism, Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said.

"That act of terrorism which happened in Bulawayo is nothing, it does not deter us. But if the colleagues running for harmonised elections on the 30th of July are afraid and scared, they will be given security," Chiwenga said Sunday, as quoted by the Herald newspaper.

The Russian Embassy in Zimbabwe has issued a statement condemning the recent assassination attempt on Zimbabwe's president Emmerson Mnangagwa. The statement said that the Russian side wished speedy recovery to everyone wounded in the attack.

On July 30, the Zimbabweans will elect new president. The vote will take place for the first time since end of rule of ousted Robert Mugabe. Mnangagwa, who previously served as vice president, was sworn in as Mugabe's successor. </s> Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken the oath as Zimbabwe's president, after winning last month's bitterly contested election that marked the country's first vote since Robert Mugabe was removed from power.

The Constitutional Court confirmed Mnangagwa's election victory in a ruling released on Friday, dismissing a challenge by the man he defeated in the July 30 ballot, opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

Thousands of people, some from outside the capital, and foreign leaders gathered on Sunday at Harare's national stadium for the swearing-in of Mnangagwa, who just secured the 50 percent of votes needed to avoid a runoff against Chamisa.

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Mnangagwa pledged to "protect and promote the rights of Zimbabweans" in his oath.

"I, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, swear that as president of the Republic of Zimbabwe I will be faithful to Zimbabwe [and] will obey uphold and defend the constitution of Zimbabwe," Mnangagwa said.

He took the oath before Chief Justice Luke Malaba who, together with eight other Constitutional Court judges had dismissed Chamisa's petition.

The election was touted as a crucial step towards shedding the pariah reputation Zimbabwe gained under Mnangagwa's predecessor Robert Mugabe, and securing international donor funding to revive a crippled economy.

Political tensions

Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa, reporting from Harare, said Zimbabweans expected the president to send a message of unity amid political tensions that occurred following the elections.

"He has to convince Zimbabweans that he will be the president for all citizens not only for the ruling ZANU–PF party," she said.

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Hours before Mnangagwa's inauguration, the International Republican Institute and National Democratic Institute said the country lacked a "tolerant democratic culture" in which political parties were treated equally and citizens allowed to vote freely.

The election was marred by procedural lapses and followed by an army crackdown against opposition supporters, undermining promises that Mnangagwa made during campaigning to break with the corruption and mismanagement that become endemic under Mugabe.

The crackdown, which left six people dead on August 1, recalled the heavy-handed security tactics that marked the 37-year rule of Mugabe, who was removed in a coup in November. </s> The remains of Morgan Tsvangirai, a former prime minister of Zimbabwe and a leading opponent of Robert Mugabe, were driven through the streets of Harare on February 19 before an official state funeral scheduled for the following day. Thousands lined the streets and filled Freedom Square in Harare for a memorial service. The 65-year-old died of colon cancer on February 14. This video shows a van carrying Tsvangirai’s remains, followed by a procession of cars, slowly moving through the capital as bystanders cheer and take photos. Credit: MDC Zimbabwe via Storyful

AN explosion rocked a stadium where Zimbabwe’s president was addressing a campaign rally on Saturday, with state media calling it an assassination attempt but saying he was not hurt and was evacuated from the scene.

Witnesses said several people appeared to be injured, including the Vice President.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa was whisked to a state house in Bulawayo, where he had been speaking ahead of next month’s historic election, the first since longtime leader Robert Mugabe stepped down.

“Attempt on ED’s life,” the state-run Zimbabwe Herald’s headline said, referring to the president by his initials.

The blast occurred as Mnangagwa had just finished addressing the crowd and was leaving the podium.

Footage posted online showed the president waving to the crowd, turning to step off the podium and walking into the open-sided VIP tent, where seconds later the explosion occurred.

People ducked and screamed and smoke billowed. State television immediately cut its broadcast. The broadcaster, ZBC, later reported that Vice President Kembo Mohadi was injured in the leg and taken to a local hospital.

The explosion came just hours after a similar attack in Ethiopia, where a blast killed at least one person and injured scores just after the new prime minister addressed a huge rally in the capital.

Presidential spokesman George Charamba told The Zimbabwe Herald that investigations were underway, and pointed out that there have been “multiple attempts” on Mnangagwa’s life over the years.

The president himself has openly joked about the attempts, including during his campaigning.

Mnangagwa took power in November after former ally Mugabe stepped down under military pressure.

That dramatic transfer of power began when Mnangagwa was fired as Mugabe’s deputy and said he had to immediately flee the country for his life.

The July 30 election will be the first without Mugabe in the southern African nation since independence in 1980.

Mnangagwa has pledged to hold a free and fair election, inviting Western observers for the first time in almost two decades.

Past votes have been marked by allegations of violence and fraud, and the United States and others have said a credible vote is key to lifting international sanctions.
Emmerson Mnangagwa is sworn in as the President of Zimbabwe, after an assassination attempt two months earlier.