Zimbabweans Elect Mnangagwa President

After two days of mounting tension and anxiety, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been officially announced as the winner of Zimbabwe’s July 30 presidential elections.

The 75 year-old Leader of ruling ZANU-PF Party polled 50.8 per cent of votes as against 44.3 per cent scored by his closest challenger, Nelson Chamisa of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance.

Zimbabwe electoral rule says a candidate needs to win 50 per cent plus one vote to clinch the presidency.

With claims and counterclaims from the candidates’ camps, the incumbent Mnangagwa secured a comfortable victory, polling 2.46 million votes against 2.15 million for 40-year-old opposition leader Nelson Chamisa in the final result declared by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

Before adding the result of the last province of Mashonald West to the total votes cast, Chamisa was trailing with 1,921,714 votes to Mnangagwa’s tally of 2,147,628.

Mashonaland West is the stronghold of former leader, Robert Mugabe, who urged voters on Sunday to snub Mnangagwa and other members of ZANU-PF as punishment for toppling his administration last November in a military coup.

Breakdown of the presidential polls results:

MANICALAND PROVINCE

Nelson Chamisa – MDC Alliance           = 296,429

Emmerson Mnangagwa – Zanu PF       = 292,938

MIDLANDS PROVINCE

Nelson Chamisa – MDC Alliance           = 255,059

Emmerson Mnangagwa – Zanu PF       = 350,754

MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE

Nelson Chamisa – MDC Alliance           =   97,097

Emmerson Mnangagwa Zanu PF         = 366,785

MATABELELAND NORTH PROVINCE

Nelson Chamisa MDC Alliance             = 137,611

Emmerson Mnangagwa Zanu PF         = 111,452

BULAWAYO PROVINCE

Nelson Chamisa – MDC Alliance           = 144,107

Emmerson Mnangagwa – Zanu PF       =  60,168

MATABELAND SOUTH PROVINCE

Nelson Chamisa – MDC Alliance           =   90,292

Emmerson Mnangagwa – Zanu PF       = 107,008

MASHONALAND EAST PROVINCE

Nelson Chamisa – MDC Alliance            = 189,024

Emmerson Mnangagwa – Zanu PF        = 334,617

MASVINGO PROVINCE

Nelson Chamisa – MDC Alliance             = 171,196

Emmerson Mnangagwa – Zanu PF         = 319,073

HARARE METROPOLITAN PROVINCE

Nelson Chamisa – MDC Alliance            = 548,889

Emmerson Mnangagwa – Zanu PF        = 202,710

 – With agency report