The chairperson of Zimbabwe's Electoral Commission, Justice Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba, declared late Saturday that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has won a second term.
Winning 52% of the vote, Mnangagwa defeated his main rival, Nelson Chamisa, who leads the Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) party.
"The total votes cast were 4,561,221. Total valid votes cast were 4,468,668. Total votes rejected, 92,553. Our total voter population was 6,623,511. The voter turnout was 68.9%," Chigumba stated. "Therefore, Mnangagwa Emmerson Dambudzo of ZANU-PF party is declared duly elected president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, with effect from 26th August 2023."
Media swarmed the announcement, capturing the moment as Zimbabwe's political landscape entered its latest chapter.
Mnangagwa took the reins from Robert Mugabe after a 2017 army coup and was widely expected to win re-election. Analysts noted that the electoral contest favored Mnangagwa's ZANU-PF party, which has been in power for over four decades.
Nelson Chamisa, the main challenger, secured 44% of the vote, according to official figures. Chamisa narrowly lost to Mnangagwa in the previous election held in 2018. Although the opposition claimed that the election was rigged, Zimbabwe's constitutional court upheld the results.
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