Zimbabwe: Zanu-PF salutes 'successful general elections'

HARARE, Zimbabwe

The re-election of President Emmerson Mnangagwa "shows that Zimbabweans are democratic" and that "a new confidence is being instilled" in the country, the ruling party ZANU-PF's spokesperson said Sunday (Aug. 27).

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa was re-elected for a second and final five-year term late Saturday (Aug. 26) in results announced much earlier than expected, following another troubled vote in the southern African country.

On Sunday Mnangagwa thanked the Zimbabwean people for their peaceful conduct throughout the election process.

The ZANU-PF party spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa added that the party had "no quarrel" with the electoral system and called for the opposition party to have the same attitude.

"We hail the main opposition advocate Nelson Chamisa for a good show. He didn't make it, but it was a good show, it shows that Zimbabweans are democratic," he told the press.

Mnangagwa was re-elected for a second and final five-year term with 52.6% of the vote, according to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. Chamisa, 45, who also lost to Mnangagwa in a very close and disputed election five years ago, won 44% of the vote this time, the commission said.

69% of registered voters cast a ballot.

The two-horse vote was a rerun of the last presidential election. In 2018 Mnangwga secured 50.8% of vote and Chamisa 44.03%.

"It's good that there is a new confidence which is beginning to be instilled among Zimbabweans by what the president has been doing, and that is reflected in the increased voter margin which we had this time from the previous one," Christopher Mutsvangwa said.

Mnangagwa won just over 2.3 million of the 4.4 million votes cast. Chamisa received 1.9 million, the electoral commission said.

Earlier Sunday, Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa alleged “blatant and gigantic fraud” in the country's election after Mnangagwa's win.

ZANU-PF's spokesperson also commented on international criticism from the European Union and the United States, stating that their involvement in African affairs "harks back to post-colonial psychosis, post imperial angst."

Mnangagwa's victory meant the ZANU-PF party retained the governmental leadership it has held for all 43 years of Zimbabwe's history since the nation was re-named following independence from white minority rule in 1980.

Zimbabwe has had just two leaders in that time, long-ruling autocrat Robert Mugabe and Mnangagwa.