Emmerson Mnangagwa: 'The Crocodile' wins second term as Zimbabwe president

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been elected to a 2nd word with 52.6% of the vote, the electoral committee says.

However, the absorption claimed determination had been wide vote-rigging and planetary observers said the ballot fell abbreviated of antiauthoritarian standards.

Mr Mnangagwa is lone Zimbabwe's 2nd president. A 2017 coup against seasoned ruler Robert Mugabe enactment him successful charge.

Zimbabweans inactive look precocious inflation, poorness and a clime of fear.

When helium archetypal became president, Mr Mnangagwa - known arsenic "The Crocodile" for his ruthlessness - promised a caller commencement for his country's people.

But Zimbabwe had 1 of the highest ostentation rates successful the satellite past period - prices successful July had rocketed by 101.3% since the erstwhile year. Unemployment besides remains rife, with lone 25% of Zimbabweans holding ceremonial jobs.

Mr Mnangagwa's vow to warrant quality rights besides appears hollow, with small changing successful this respect since Mr Mugabe's departure.

Critics accidental the 80-year-old silenced dissent and clamped down connected the absorption successful the run-up to the vote, which helium had been widely-expected to win.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said Mr Mnangagwa's main challenger, Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) campaigner Nelson Chamisa, secured 44% of the vote.

Mr Mnangagwa received much than 2.3m votes, portion Mr Chamisa took 1.9m, according to the ZEC. Voter turnout successful the state of astir 16m was 69%, the electoral assemblage said.

The absorption claims the ballot was rigged, but the law tribunal has upheld the result.

A spokesperson for the CCC posted connected X - formerly known arsenic Twitter - that the enactment rejected "any effect hastily assembled without due verification".

Promise Mkwananzi, a spokesperson for the party, told the AFP quality bureau that the CCC did not motion the "false" last tally and "cannot judge the results".

He said the enactment would denote its adjacent determination soon.

Observer missions from the EU, Commonwealth and 16-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) said they had a fig of concerns with the vote, including the banning of absorption rallies, issues with the electoral register, biased authorities media sum and elector intimidation.

"The elections were fraught with irregularities and aggrieved the radical of Zimbabwe," governmental expert Rejoice Ngwenya told AFP.

The run-up to the predetermination was mostly escaped of violence, but CCC members were convicted connected what they picture arsenic fabricated charges aimed astatine weakening the party. The enactment says the constabulary person banned respective of its meetings since July, and astir 100 gatherings since it was formed successful January past year.

Earlier this month, 40 CCC members, including a parliamentary candidate, were arrested portion campaigning successful the superior Harare.

The caller sidesplitting of a CCC backer, allegedly by supporters of Mr Mnangagwa's Zanu-PF party, further raised concerns astir rights.

Critics proceed to beryllium arrested and taken to tribunal for insulting the president - an offence punishable by 1 twelvemonth successful jailhouse oregon a good oregon both. A antheral successful Harare was charged successful April aft allegedly being overheard by a constabulary serviceman saying that Mr Mnangagwa would suffer the adjacent election.

Voting successful the statesmanlike and parliamentary elections was meant to instrumentality spot connected Wednesday, but was extended into Thursday successful immoderate areas owed to the precocious organisation of ballot papers.

Mr Mnangagwa's predetermination means Zanu-PF has ruled Zimbabwe for 43 years, since the state gained independency from British regularisation successful 1980.

The enactment was besides declared the victor successful the parliamentary race, securing 136 of 210 seats, with the CCC taking 73. A further 60 seats are reserved for women and are appointed done proportional representation.