Zimbabwe's President Mnangagwa to be sworn in for 2nd term on Monday

By Jeffrey Moyo

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AA) - Zimbabwean President Emerson Mnangagwa will be sworn in for a second five-year term in office on Monday at a ceremony in the country’s capital of Harare.

Two African presidents have confirmed to attend the swearing-in ceremony, including Mozambique's Filipe Nyusi and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa.

Mnangagwa, of the ruling Zanu PF party, received 52.6% of the vote in general elections held on August 23, which the Southern African Development Community said were marred by irregularities.

His opponent, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), came in second place with 44% of the vote.

Zanu PF also won 136 seats in the National Assembly, but the CCC received 73, denying the ruling party a two-thirds majority in the lower house.

In 2017, Mnangagwa replaced former President Robert Mugabe following a military coup in the country.

The following year, he was elected for a five-year term, defeating Chamisa by a narrow margin amid allegations of election irregularities.

This year, Mnangagwa defeated the same rival candidate, who called the election a sham and demanded a new election in the country.

His party, however, has not filed a petition in court to challenge alleged electoral fraud, claiming that Mnangagwa and his regime have captured the judiciary in the southern African nation.