MARTIN MAWAYA
HARARE – President Mnangagwa has shamed the country’s detractors and hailed the recently held harmonised elections as a sign that the country is maturing politically.
President Mnangagwa said this as he took his oath of office in Harare yesterday to mark the beginning of his second and final five year term as the Republic’s first season.
The President romped to victory with 52.6% beating his closet rival Nelson Chamisa of CCC who garnered 44%.
“Counter revolutionaries and their proxies will never prevail in Zimbabwe. We have shamed our detractors. There are no losers but victory for the people of Zimbabwe against the neo-colonial tendencies of our country’s detractors…..,” said President Mnangagwa amid applause from his supporters who packed the National Sports Stadium.
He urged Zimbabweans to remain peaceful and promised to fulfil all the promises made during the campaign period which will take the country out of grinding poverty.
“I call upon all Zimbabweans to say no to violence, tribalism, regionalism and hate speech. We love peace, we love harmony we love tolerance and this is our DNA as people of Zimbabwe. Responsive policies which begun in the first term of my presidency are on course to lift many out of poverty,” he said.
Mnangagwa’s inauguration comes at a time when the credibility of this year’s harmonized elections was questioned by African observers who concluded that the polls “fell short of meeting regional standards” while the western observers reported that the elections happened under a “climate of fear”.
His swearing-in ceremony was attended by several African leaders after the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader did not challenge the election results in court which the party alleged to have been flawed.
