BY Chinedu Asadu
Emmerson Mnangagwa has been announced as the winner of Zimbabwe’s presidential election.
The 75-year-old leader polled 50.8 percent of votes as against 44.3 percent polled by his closest challenger Nelson Chamisa.
In the final result announced Friday by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Mnangagwa led with 2,460,463 votes while Chamisa trailed with 2,147,437 votes.
The opposition has, however, rejected the outcome of the poll, accusing the commission of announcing fake results.
The MDC Alliance has also revealed plans to challenge the election in court.
“What they have been trying to do of late is to play around,” Chamisa, who claimed he won the popular vote, told reporters before the final results were announced.
“That is rigging, that is manipulation, trying to bastardise the result, and that we will not allow.”
There were reports of violence in the election, with at least six protesters reportedly killed and some wounded.
Mnangagwa, a former vice-president under Robert Mugabe, has been in power since November 2017 following the longtime leader’s resignation.
Shortly after the announcement of the results, Mnangagwa took to Twitter to describe his election as “a new beginning” for the country.
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