POLL | What do you make of the Zimbabwe election results declaring Emmerson Mnangagwa the winner?

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been re-elected after winning the election with 52.6% of the vote, the country’s electoral commission said.

Mnangagwa, who took over from longtime leader Robert Mugabe after a 2017 army coup, was widely expected to secure re-election for a second term.

According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, his main challenger, Nelson Chamisa, secured 44% of the presidential vote.

Mnangagwa’s first term was marred by runaway inflation, currency shortages and sky-high unemployment.

He welcomed the election result.

“I competed with them and I am happy that I have won the race,” he said at State House on Sunday amid heavy police presence in parts of the capital.

“Those who feel the race was not run properly should know where to go to.”

Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa speaking on X, formerly Twitter, said: “It’s a blatant and gigantic fraud.”

“Do not leave us, particularly our fellow brothers and sisters in the region and on the continent,” he said. “We count on your solidarity as we seek to resolve this political crisis.”

It was unclear whether the opposition would use the courts to dispute the election results, as Zimbabwe’s judges have historically sided with the governing party.