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
